Code Noir

Code Noir means "Black Code" in French and it was a set of laws in the 1700s that was designed to control enslaved people in France and its colonies. The laws said that enslaved people had to obey their masters, had no rights, and couldn't do certain things, like meeting together in groups or travelling away from the plantation. Code Noir provided instructions for how masters had to treat their slaves, including punishment for disobedience. The Code also said that slaves had to go to church, even though they weren't allowed to share in the religious practices.