Francisco Bouligny memorandum, 1776 September 1.

Kuntz, Felix Herwig, 1890-1971.
Spain. Sovereign (1759-1788 : Charles III)

Memorandum regarding the instructions for the Governor-General of Louisiana, presented to Charles III at La Granja on the 1st of September 1776. Incomplete, unsigned copy, [written in the hand of Francisco Bouligny]. Captain Francisco Bouligny, then on official leave in Spain, discusses the depressed state of the economy in the Province of Louisiana, where he had served in His Majesty's army since 1769. He also made suggestions for improving the situation and for defending the colony against the threats of the English. The third section relates to reforms and improvements. Labor control was an important concern, for "the happiness of all the inhabitants depends upon the exact discipline that is imposed upon the Negroes," the document stated. The Governor was to prohibit public dances of enslaved persons and to capture and punish fugitives. He was to admonish masters to not treat their slaves with excessive severity, and those who persisted in acting in an inhumane manner were to be banished from the Province and their slaves sold. He was to ship out of the colony those free mulatto women who lived in public concubinage. He was to encourage the marriage of enslaved persons by Catholic ritual. In Spanish with English translation.

Colonial administrators--Louisiana--New Orleans--History--18th century
Spanish--Louisiana--History--18th century
African Americans--Legal status, laws, etc--Louisiana
Free African Americans--Louisiana
African American women--Louisiana
Creoles--Louisiana
Slaves--Louisiana--Social conditions--18th century
Concubinage--Louisiana
Fugitive slaves--Louisiana

Louisiana

1 memorandum.

text

Louisiana Research Collection, Howard-Tilton Memorial Library, Tulane University, New Orleans, Louisiana

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