An Act to Punish Offenses Against Slave Property (1855)

Content Warning

Some of the works in this project contain racist and offensive language and descriptions that may be difficult or disturbing to read.  Please take care when reading these materials, and see our Ethics Statement and About page.

An act to punish offences against Slave property. Be it enacted by
the Governor and Legislative Assembly of the Territory of Kansas:
Section 1. Every person bond or free who shall be convicted
of actually raising a rebellion or insurrection of slaves, free
negroes or mulattoes in this Territory shall suffer death. Section
2. Every free person who shall aid or assist in any rebelion
or insurrection of slaves, free negroes or mulattoes or shall
furnish arms, or do any overt act in furtherance of
such rebellion or insurrection, shall suffer death. Section
3. If any free person shall by speaking, writing or printing
advise, persuade or induce any slaves to rebel, conspire
against or murder any citizen of this Territory, or shall bring into
print, write, publish or circulate, or cause to be brought into
printed, written, published or circulated, or shall Knowingly aid
or assist in the bringing into, printing, publishing writing or
circulating in this Territory any book, paper magazine, pam-
phlet or circular for the purpose of exciting insurrection
rebellion, revolt or conspiracy on the part of slaves free negroes
or mulattoes against the citizens of the Territory or any part
of them, such person shall be guilty of felony and suffer
death. Section 4. If any person shall entice, decoy, or carry
away out of this Territory, any slave belonging to another
with intent to deprive the owner thereof of the services of
such slave, or with intent to effect or procure the freedom
of such slave, he shall be adjudged guilty of Grand
Larceny and on conviction thereof shall suffer
death or be imprisoned at hard labor for not less than
ten years. Section 5. If any person shall aid or assist in enticing,
decoying or persuading, or carrying away or sending out of this Territory,
any slave belonging to another, with intent to procure or effect the
freedom of such slave, or with intent to deprive the owner thereof
of the services of such slave, he shall be adjudged guilty of
Grand Larceny, and on conviction thereof shall suffer death or
be imprisoned at hard labor for not less than ten years. Section
6. If any person shall entice, decoy, or carry away out of any state
or other Territory of the United States, any slave belonging to another,
with intent to procure or effect the freedom of such slave, or to de-
prive the owner thereof of the services of such slave, & shall bring such slave
into this Territory, he shall be adjudged guilty of Grand Larceny, in the
same manner as if such slave had been enticed, decoyed, or carried
away out of this Territory, and in such case the Larceny may be
charged to have been committed in any county of this Territory, into
or through which such slave shall have been brought by such person
and on conviction thereof, the person offending shall suffer
death or be imprisoned at hard labor for not less than ten
years. Section 7. If any person shall entice, persuade or induce
any slave to escape from the service of his master or owner in this
Territory or shall aid or assist any slave in escaping from the ser-
vice of his master or owner, or shall aid, assist, harbour, or conceal
any slave who may have escaped from the service of his
master or owner, shall be deemed guilty of felony, And

punished by imprisonment at hard labor for a term of not
less than five years. Section 8. If any person in this Territory
shall aid or assist, harbor or conceal any slave who has
escaped from the service of his master or owner in another
State or Territory, such person shall be punished in like manner
as if such slave had escaped from the service of his master or
owner in this Territory. Section 9. If any person shall resist any offi-
cer while attempting to arrest any slave that may have escaped from
the service of his master or owner, or shall rescue such slave when
in custody of any officer or other person or shall entice persuade
aid or assist such slave to escape from the custody of any officer
or other person who may have such slave in custody whether
such slave have escaped from the service of his master
or owner in this Territory or in any other State or Territory, the person
so offending shall be guilty of felony and punished by impr-
isonment at hard labor for a time not less than two years. Section
10. If any Marshall, sheriff or constable or the deputy of any
such officer, shall when required by any person refuse to aid
or assist in the arrest or capture of any slave that may
have escaped from the service of his master or owner, whether
such slave shall have escaped from his master or owner in this Terri-
tory, or in any state or Territory, such officer shall be fined in a
sum not less than one hundred nor more than five hundred
dollars. Section 11. If any person print, write, introduce into, publish, or circu-
late, or cause to be brought into, printed, written, published or circu-
lated, or shall Knowingly aid or assist in bringing into, printing, pub-
lishing or circulating within this Territory, any book, paper, pamphlet, maga-
zine, hand bill or circular containing any statements, arguments, opinions
sentiments, doctrine, advice or innuendo calculated to produce
a disorderly, dangerous or rebellious disaffection among the slaves
in this Territory or to induce such slaves to escape from the service
of their masters, or to resist their authority, he shall be guilty of felony
and be punished by imprisonment at hard labor for a time
not less than five years. Section 12. If any free person by
speaking or by writing, assert or maintain that persons have
not the right to hold slaves in this Territory, or shall introduce
into this Territory, print, publish, write circulate or cause to be
introduced into this Territory, written, printed, published or
circulated in this Territory, any book, paper, magazine
pamphlet or circular containing any denial of the right
of persons to hold slaves in this Territory, such person shall be
deemed guilty of felony and punished by imprisonment at
hard labor for a term not less than two years. Section 13.
No person who is conscienciously opposed to holding slaves
or who does not admit the right to hold slaves in this Territory
shall sit as a juror, on the trial of any prosecution for any
violation of any of the sections of this act. This act to
take effect and be in force from and after the fifteenth day
of September A.D. 1855.

John H. Stringfellow
Speaker of the House of Representatives

Thomas Johnson
President of the Council

Approved August 29, 1855.
Dan Woodson
Acting Governor

{Printed}

Originated in the House of Representatives
[James McLyle]
Clerk of the House of Representatives