The Blue Laws of Connecticut

• Context
  • Enacted by the General Court in 1650
• Indians
  • Any Indian who shall "meddle with, or handle any English mans weapons of any sorte, either in theire howses, or in the fields, they shall forfeit for every such default a half a fathom of wampum."
  • No man shalle "amend, repaire, or cause to be amended or repared, any gunn, small or great, belonging to any indian, nor shall indeavor the same, nor shall sell nor give to any indian . . any such gunn, nor any gunpowder or shott, or lead, or shott mould, or any military weapon or weapons, armor, or arrowe heads".
  • Laws forbade the selling, bartering or transporting of any guns, power, bullets or lead to any person inhabitating out of the jurisdiction, without license of the court. Fines for infraction were ten pounds per gun and five pounds per bullet.
  • No "Duchmen, or person of any other foreign nation, or any English living amongst them" may trade, either directly or indirectly, with any indians within the limits of the Connecticut jurisdiction.
  • General attitude about Indians:
    • Introductory clause explains that "our lenity and gentleness towards indians hath made them growe bold and insolent"; accuses foreigners of "strengthening and animating the indians against us"
    • Code reflects weariness and fear of indians, but also recognizes that there should be some way to "convey the light and knowledge of God and his words" to the indians, and instructs churches to proselytize
• Military Affairs
  • Who is armed?
    • All persons above the age of 16 are required to bear arms, except magistrates, church officers and those granted exemption by the court.
    • Penalties for want of arms; procedure for the provision of arms to those who lacked the means to secure them
  • What kind of arms are required?
    • Every male above the age of 16 shall have "in continual readiness, a good musket, or other gun, fit for service."
      • This provision explicitly refers to "every male person", while the general requirement that everyone bear arms (which immediately precedes it in the code) refers to to "all persons" - does that mean the general requirement of arms-bearing applied to women?
    • Every male person about the age of 16 - even those exempted elsewhere - shall "be always provided with and have in readiness, by them, half a pound of power, two and a half pounds of serviceable bullets or shots, and two fathom of match to every matchlock." Separate requirements for the provision of gunpowder to "every soldier in several trained bands of each town."
      • Distinction between soldiers and regular citizens?
    • Public Armory: Two barrels of gunpowder and six hundred weight of lead provided by the commonwealth are to be maintained as the country stock. Additionally, each town in the commonwealth was required to provide and maintain a particular amount of gunpowder, ammunition, muskets and other weapons. (Code prescribed specific amounts for each town, presumably according to their size.)
  • Other Requirements
    • Military structure: Soldiers choose their own officers, who must be confirmed by the court.
    • All soldiers are to be trained at least six times a year.
    • Twice a year the clerk of each band shall inspect the arms and ammunition of the band to ensure they are in accordance with the law. The clerk shall report all defects in arms or ammunition to the magistrate who shall take appropriate action, "wherein due regard is to be had of willful negligence in any, and such may not pass without severe censure."

• ConnecticutCodeExcerpts.pdf: Excerpts from the Blue Laws of Connecticut