Kristian Williams - Our Enemies in Blue - Police and Power in America

confronted with the conditions of a proto-industrialized city (where slavery itselfwas facing obsolescence) underwent a similar metamorphosis.CHARLESTON: " KEEPING DOWN THE NIGGERS "In 1671, the South Carolina's Grand Council created a watch for Charles Town,consisting of the regular constables and a rotation of six citizens. They guardedthe city against fire, Indians, slave gatherings, and other signs of trouble, anddetained lawbreakers until the next day.146 The law creating the watch wasrenewed in 1698, with an addendum citing the increase in the Black population:And whereas, negroes frequently absent themselves from their mastersor owners [sic] houses, caballing, pilfering, stealing, and playingthe rogue, at unseasonable hours of the night Bee it therefo re enacted,That any Constable or his deputy, meeting with any negro or negros,belonging to Charles Town, at such unseasonable times as aforesaid,and cannot give good and satisfactory account of his business, the saidconstable or his deputy, is required to keep the said negro or negros insafe custody till next morning. 147For this work, the constable was to receive a fee from the owner of thedetained slaves. In 1701, the exact language of this law was repeated, thoughthe fee was increased and the constable was further instructed to administera severe beating.148In 1703, as a wartime measure, the governor established a paid watch,and added special duties related to sailors and bars. This experiment wasshort-lived, however, and seventeen months after its creation it was replacedwith a volunteer patrol organized by the militia. 149 This organization was essentiallythe slave patrol. In 1721, it again merged with the militia. Its function wasbroadened, giving patrollers authority over a large part of the working classbesides the slaves. The new law instructed patrollersto use their utmost endeavor to prevent all caballings amongst negroes,by dispersing of them when drumming or playing, and to search all negrohouses for arms or other offensive weapons; and farther. are herebyempowered to examine all White servants they shall meet with, out oftheir master's business, and the same (if they suspect to be runaway, orupon any ill design) to carry such servant immediately to be whipped,or punished as he shall think fit, and then send him home to his master;and also, if they meet with any idle, loose or vagrant fellow that cannotgive good account of his business, shall also be hereby empowered tocarry such vagrant fellow to a magistrate.150By 1734, this body was again removed from the militia, and was explicitlyreferred to as a slave police. By this time the patrollers were all armedand mounted, and were ordered to search the homes of all Black people,pursue and capture escaped slaves, and kill any slave who used a weaponagainst them. Until the end of the colonial period, the Parish of Saint Philip(which includes Charleston) had two separate patrols-the two largest inthe state. 1 j 1By 1785, these patrols were incorporated into the Charleston Guard45