Chapter III: +Enslavement by the French+

Legality 63–65
Never authorized by law in early colonial period 63
Home government not interested 63
Indirect royal action in eighteenth century 63
Authorized by colonial authorities 63
Action of Company of the Indies, 1720 64
Recognition by Governor-General Hocquart, 1736 64
Action of royal council, 1745 64
Public opinion 65
Not concerned with the subject 65
Knowledge of slavery vague 65
Countenanced slavery as an institution 65
No leader like Las Casas to create sentiment against slavery 65
Attitude of the missionaries 65–67
Processes of enslavement 67
War 67–73
Natchez War 67–68
Minor wars 69
With the Fox Indians 69
With the Chickasaw 69
Urging allies to war and taking captives 69–70
Requiring conquered tribes to go to war and take captives 70–71
Kidnapping 71–73
Trade 73–79
Indian slaves an object of trade 74
Part played by “coureurs de bois” 75–77
Attempt to check action of “coureurs de bois” 77
Opposition to it not strong 78
Attitude of Jesuits 78–79
Gifts: made to the explorers 79–81
Birth: throughout history children of slaves generally regarded
as slaves 82
Employment of slaves 82–86
Among the explorers 82
Guides 82
Interpreters 82
Among the colonists 83–86
Interpreters 83
Domestic servants 83
Mistresses 83
Agricultural laborers 83–84
Laborers on fortifications 84
Menial camp laborers 84
Objects of bribe to win friendship of tribes 84–86
Recognition as property 86
Tax law of 1728 86
Treatment of slaves 86–90
Slavery was of mild nature 86
Social distinction between slave and owner was less marked than
in case of English and Indian slaves 87
Instance of “coureurs de bois” 87
Religious training 87–88
Relation to ceremonies and sacraments of the Church 88–90
Extent of Indian slavery 90–94
In Louisiana 90–91
In Natchitoches 91
In north Mississippi Valley 92
In Detroit 92–93
Manumission 93–95
Verbal manumission 94
Law of 1735 required manumission by notarial deed 94
Law of 1721 freed children of slave mothers and free fathers 95
Causes of end of Indian slavery 96–102
Indians not adapted to slavery 96
Decrease in number of Indians 96
Removal of tribes from neighborhood of whites 96
Law of 1693 forbade trade in Indians 96
Law of 1736 repeated the order 97
General unsatisfactoriness of the institution 97–99
Growth of indenture system 99
Growth of negro slavery 100–102

PART II

THE INSTITUTION AS PRACTICED BY THE ENGLISH