Print. He claimed that the laws were printed on blue paper, hence the … But the strictness, bigotry, intolerance toward other forms of worship, and the Puritan “blue laws” were to cast their long kinky shadow of Puritanism even into the 21st century. ×. Blue laws are Sunday laws restricting “immoral” activities based on preserving Christian religious values of the Sabbath. Blue laws originated in Puritan New England as a way to regulate morals and protect Sunday as a day of rest and worship. The Blue Laws were enacted by the Puritans, religious outcasts fleeing religious intolerance who once they set up they own State set about enacting their own religious intolerance. The legislator hasn't acted on deactivating the Blue Laws because a lobby hasn't approached enough of them with enough money to do so. Priests may be seized by any one without a warrant. In 1781, the Reverend Samuel Peters published A General History of Connecticut, in which he used the term blue laws to refer to a set of laws that the Puritans had enacted in the 1600s to control morality. While blue laws may seem unconstitutional because they are based on religion, the U.S. Supreme Court has ruled them constitutional by citing that blue laws secure a day of rest for certain workers and guarantee the free exercise of religion. Puritans Lived Under Harsh Rules During the seventeenth century, the combined New England colonies formed a virtual Puritan commonwealth. In the United States, “blue laws,” so called due to the blue paper on which Puritan leaders printed the Sunday trade restrictions, date back to the 18th century at least. “Blue Laws: When Puritan Values Were the Law”. No one to cross a river, but with an authorized ferryman. No one shall buy or sell lands without permission of the selectmen. No man shall hold any office, who is not sound in the faith, and faithful to this Dominion; and whoever gives a vote to such a person, shall pay a fine of £1; for a second offence, he shall be disfranchised. “Blue laws” (the term’s origin is a matter of historical dispute) banning commerce on Sundays and holidays were inspired by the Puritans. No_Favorite. At … Whoever wears clothes trimmed with gold, silver, or bone lace, above two shillings by the yard, shall be presented by the grand jurors, and the selectmen shall tax the offender at £300 estate. In the lands north and west of the Ohio River, few were in place until the late 19 th century, though in the Old South, states adopted blue laws almost immediately. origination is that Reverend Samuel Peters claimed in 1781 the Puritans wrote the laws on blue paper or they were bound in books with blue covers. Sunday was meant for worship alone, and God had decreed it as a day of rest, according to Puritan beliefs. Blue laws restrict certain activities on Sunday, to accommodate the Christian sabbath. In several colonies, church attendance was mandatory, and violators were subject to fines, at … So was using a broom or engaging in work. EMBED (for wordpress.com hosted blogs and archive.org item tags) Want more? To pick an ear of corn growing in a neighbor's garden, shall be deemed theft. Nearly all the American colonies passed laws to prohibit commerce on Sunday. No quaker or dissenter from the established worship of this Dominion shall be allowed to give a vote for the election of Magistrates, or any officer. With the support of the prominent Reverend John Cotton, Connecticut passed the first Sabbath regulations in the British colonies starting in the mid-1600s. Minnesota is not alone in clinging to the last vestiges of the Puritan blue laws. From the determination of the Assembly no appeal shall be made. A debtor in prison, swearing he has no estate, shall be let out and sold, to make satisfaction. Puritan colonies in the New World generally had certain blue laws in place. Advanced embedding details, examples, and help! Nearly all of the colonial blue laws were no longer enforced, but communities and states adopted new laws, nearly all of them aimed at protecting the Sabbath from secular activities. The battle over blue laws in Greenwood, Mississippi. Jon Butler. The Governor and Magistrates convened in general Assembly, are the supreme power under God of this independent Dominion. When Englishmen got wind of the Blue Laws, many believed the rules a testament to the backwardness of religion in the colonies. No man shall court a maid in person, or by letter, without first obtaining consent of her parents: £5 penalty for the first offence; £10 for the second; and, for the third, imprisonment during the pleasure of the Court. The Blue Laws of the Colony of Connecticut are an invented set of harsh statutes governing conduct in the Puritan colony, listed in a history of Connecticut that was published in 1781 in London by the Reverend Samuel Peters, an Anglican who had been forced to leave America. As … Puritan New England’s many blue laws were directed almost solely towards behavior on the Sabbath, and were stricter, covering a wider variety of behaviors, than those of Virginia. In 1781, the Reverend Samuel Peters published A General History of Connecticut , in which he used the term blue laws to refer to a set of laws that the Puritans had enacted in the 1600s to control morality. Whoever attempts to change or overturn this Dominion, shall suffer death. October 5, 2000 “Blue Laws”. Many blue laws have been repealed since the 1960s, but some laws that ban the sale of alcohol on Sunday remain in force. One story about their origination is that Reverend Samuel Peters claimed in 1781 the Puritans wrote the laws on blue paper or they were bound in books with blue covers.1 No evidence has been found to support this claim, but history suggests there may be a simple explanation behind the phrase "blue laws." The so-called "False Blue Laws" of Connecticut, which were foisted upon the public by the Reverend Samuel Peter, have caused much indignation among all thoughtful descendants and all lovers of New England Puritans. Blue Laws. Her skirts must be long enough to drag the floor—it was unladylike to show any … It is true that the Puritans' attitudes toward music and aesthetics have been grossly exaggerated. The term “blue laws” originally applied to laws supposedly enacted by the Puritans in 17th century Connecticut to regulate moral behavior, especially what … With a little help from Dumblaws.com, we’ve gathered together some of the most bizarre laws and regulations in Massachusetts. These 16 Crazy Laws in Massachusetts Will Leave You Scratching Your Head In Wonder. Courtesy of the Mississippi Department of Archives and History. Many were created to prevent hunting on the Sabbath. The entire political and social system they established was built on the Puritan religion. The temperance movement led to communities and counties adopting liquor laws, … Ellen Debenport, UPI. 11:48 AM. No woman shall kiss her child on the Sabbath or fasting day. Not observing the Sabbath with due reverence was an affront to God. Article, Encyclopedia of Arkansas. The blue laws revealed the sternness of the Puritan character. Some believe that they were dubbed Blue Laws because they were originally printed on blue paper. Fornication shall be punished by compelling the marriage, or as the Court may think proper. States with Blue Laws. Many of the Bay State's curious laws were cooked up by crotchety old puritans and early colonials, but not all. "Five Quakers were put to death on Boston Commons after they had their ears and tongues cut off." Few across the pond shared their orthodoxy. Many blue laws have been repealed since the 1960s, but some laws that ban the sale of alcohol on Sunday remain in force. Sunday laws are sometimes called "blue laws." Credit: Interim Archives/Archive Photos/Getty Images. Blue Laws still enforced today. Whipping was a … Starting in mid-1600s, any Sunday activity that took away from worship—shopping, laundry, consumption of alcohol, “unseemly” walking—was strictly forbidden. "[1][3], This article is about invented early colonial Connecticut laws. Starting in mid-1600s, any Sunday activity that took away from worship—shopping, laundry, consumption of alcohol, “unseemly” walking—was strictly forbidden. Contrary to popular belief, there is no evidence to support the assertion that the blue laws were originally printed on blue paper. Origins: The term “blue laws” originally applied to laws supposedly enacted by the Puritans in seventeenth-century Connecticut to regulate moral behavior (especially what people must or … Blue Laws. Blue Laws: When Puritan Values Were The Law. The judges shall determine controversies without a jury. Reasons for the ban varied, including the holiday’s pagan roots and how it was celebrated, but there was a five-shilling fine if you were caught in the Christmas spirit. Travel on Sunday was banned, except walking to and from … Minnesota is not alone in clinging to the last vestiges of the Puritan blue laws. Puritans and non-Puritans alike broke the law. Moreover, although Reverend Peters claimed that the term blue law was originally used by Puritan colonists, his work has since been found to be unreliable. So is our government’s and society’s compulsion to create laws AGAINST everything. Forty-four years ago this month, on a Sunday afternoon, police officers began visiting mom-and-pop stores in Greenwood, Mississippi. Attire was strictly regulated, and missing church was forbidden. Advertisement. A drunkard shall have a master appointed by the selectmen, who are to debar him from the liberty of buying and selling. Peters' book popularized the term "blue laws", referring to laws restricting activities on Sunday. Over that, she wore a corset and long petticoats. In the United States, “blue laws,” so called due to the blue paper on which Puritan leaders printed the Sunday trade restrictions, date back to the 18th century at least. 15 colour facts The recipient of the Thomas Wolfe Prize for 2017 was Kevin Young, author of ten books of poetry, including Blue Laws : Selected & Uncollected Poems 1995-2015 (2016) and Ardency: A Chronicle of the Amistad Rebels (2011). EMBED. Credit: Library of Congress Photo Collection, 1840-2000/Ancestry.com, About 1870, Boston, Massachusetts. Strictest in Puritan, Bible-oriented communities, blue laws usually forbade regular work on Sunday, plus any buying, selling, traveling, public entertainment, or sports. The Governor is amenable to the voice of the people. Colonial America observed Sunday as a day of … The Assembly of the People shall not be dismissed by the Governor, but shall dismiss itself. Puritans Hated Sex, Even Within Marriage. Blue laws were passed across the colonies, particularly in Puritan New England and Quaker Pennsylvania Indentured servants Migrants who, in exchange for transatlantic passage, bound themselves to a colonial employer for a term of service, typically between four and seven years. If any person turns Quaker, he shall be banished, and not suffered to return but upon pain of death. No public enteretainment or meetings were allowed except for church services. Whoever brings cards or dice into this dominion shall pay a fine of £5. In Puritan New England, the church was both literally and figuratively at the center of local life and inextricably linked to local government. And when i say enforced, someone was arrested on it in the last 2000 era. Sunday laws are sometimes called "blue laws." No Priest shall abide in this Dominion: he shall be banished, and suffer death on his return. The Puritans were exiled from Europe and settled in America in the 17th century, and Europe’s been laughing at us ever since. While occasional references to the infamous “blue laws” appeared in newspapers and pamphlets in the pre-Revolutionary period, no examples of the … Seventeenth-century New England Puritans took the Sabbath very seriously, enacting harsh measures, known as Blue Laws, to punish the impious. ” Travel was forbidden on Sundays. Existing Sunday Blue Laws are a hangover from those Puritan days. A man that strikes his wife shall pay a fine of £10; a woman that strikes her husband shall be punished as the Court directs. In modern parlance, people who think sex is inherently … The Governor shall have only a single vote in determining any question; except a casting vote, when the Assembly may be equally divided. Peters' book popularized the term "blue laws", referring to laws restricting activities on Sunday. 3. blue laws, legislation regulating public and private conduct, especially laws relating to Sabbath observance. Many states still prohibit hunting in various forms on Sundays. No food or lodging shall be afforded to a Quaker, Adamite, or other Heretic. The â blue lawsâ were the first collection of laws framed by the government of the colony of New Haven, published in 1650. They landed in Massachusetts in the 1600s and operated under a philosophy of “honor the Sabbath — or else! This perceived requirement resulted in the enactment of a variety of laws designed to regulate the conduct of all members of society. Hue and why? Whippings, fines, burnt tongues, severed ears: such were the Puritans' penalties for breaches of the Sabbath. A more probable derivation is based on an 18th-century usage of the word blue meaning “rigidly moral” in a disparaging sense. Today hunting on Sundays is still not permitted in Maine, Indiana won’t sell liquor, and other states have Blue Laws that remain on the books, though they’re rarely enforced. As a whole, they professed to love liberty, but the … From parking tickets to Kinder Eggs, sometimes the law works in mysterious ways. Rather, the word blue was commonly used in the eighteenth century as a disparaging reference to rigid moral codes and those who observed them (e.g., "bluenoses"). When it appears that an accused has confederates, and he refuses to discover them, he may be racked. Sunday was meant for worship alone, and God had decreed it as a day of rest, according to Puritan beliefs. blue laws: A state or local law that prohibits commercial activities on Sunday. Here are some examples of Puritan laws: Sunday was a holy day. When parents refuse their children convenient marriages, the Magistrates shall determine the point. Nearly all the American colonies passed laws to … This page was last edited on 26 February 2021, at 21:57. RSS. One law forbade the wearing of lace. Other statutes referred to as blue laws included those mandating the closing of retail and other businesses on Sunday, such as existed years ago in Connecticut. Credit: Library of Congress Photo Collection, 1840-2000/Ancestry.com, New England. Puritans and non-Puritans alike broke the law. Bloody Laws, for they were all sanctified with excommunication, confiscation, fines, banishment, whippings, cutting off the ears, burning the tongue, and death. So, the Puritan leaders made some of the laws even stricter to control how the people of the colony behaved. 1990 “The Beer and Whisky League: The Illustrated History of the American Association – … One example (out of many that could be cited) of Christian-Puritan piety among the New England settlers is the disgraceful carnage known as the Cos Cob Massacre that occurred December 24, 1641. Credit: Kean Collection/Archive Photos/Getty Images, About 1650, British American colonies. Puritans and Pantyhose. The New England settlers had … Laws governed the way the Puritans dressed. Puritanism played a significant role in English history, especially during the Protectorate. Puritanical blue laws in Massachusetts aren't the only odd ordinances still around. November 22, 2017 . Most of these laws are still on the books, though they may not be enforced much … In any event, Peters never asserted that the blue laws were originally printed on blue paper, and this has come to be regarded as an example of false etymology, another version of which is that the laws were first bound in books with blue covers. Those Pious Puritans - A Web Quest: By Olivia Macaulay - 2012 Home Lesson Plan The Task - Creating a Colonial Spybook Documents ... Blue Laws - statutes governing persona behavior - were to be found both in Europe and the American Colonies. In modern parlance, people who think sex is inherently sinful and dirty are said … The so-called "False Blue Laws" of Connecticut, which were foisted upon the public by the Reverend Samuel Peter, have caused much indignation among all thoughtful descendants and all lovers of New England Puritans. a more general sense as “Sunday laws,” or those enacted to restrict or ban certain activities on what may be religiously held as a day of worship or rest. For offenders, the stocks, whippings, fines, banishment, and even death awaited. Sabbatarianism was rooted in Puritanism, and "blue laws" flourished long after the name Puritan was forgotten. share. Frightening a pigeon. flag. The ideas we promote of inflicting humiliation and increasingly more severe punishments are straight out of this dark … In rare instances, blue laws affect activities on days other than Sunday, but the most common use is in reference to Sunday, in which case they are also known as “Sunday laws.” The Puritans were probably the first to enforce Sunday laws on the North American continent, banning many commercial and recreational activities on Sundays during the 1600s. The blue laws that are still in place tend to restrict retail sales—especially those of liquor and cars—on Sundays and holidays. [3] Its etymology is unclear, but he implied a relationship to the expletive "bloody", saying that they "were very properly termed Blue Laws, i.e. However, after 22 years without a public Christmas, the law … Elizabethan drama had been far superior to early Stuart drama, which was generally poor, but the Puritan attitude toward actors and plays did much to kill it, at least temporarily, and to leave a stigma upon the stage that still lingers. Puritan New England’s many blue laws were directed almost solely towards behavior on the Sabbath, and were stricter, covering a wider variety of behaviors, than those of Virginia. (Because nothing captures the holiday spirit like a mistletoe margarita while you’re playing 21.) No one shall run on the Sabbath day, or walk in his garden or elsewhere, except reverently to and from meeting. Because the Puritans objected to many types of amusement, dancing and card playing were forbidden as much as possible. A postcard of downtown Greenwood. Puritan colonies in the New World generally had certain blue laws in place. Each freeman shall swear by the blessed God to bear true allegiance to this Dominion, and that Jesus Christ is the only King. Sabbatarianism was rooted in Puritanism, and "blue laws" flourished long after the name Puritan was forgotten. Puritans were dissatisfied with the limited extent of the English Reformation … By Jan Howard. The law reads, in part, “Whoever wilfully kills pigeons upon, or frightens them … A woman wore an undershirt, called a shift. The color blue is often associated with … Expand. The mountain of laws we create in our effort to legislate morality is a control and power issue as well as a tax/fund-raising strategy. Moreover, the thesis about the close relationship between Calvinism and capitalism is subject to many reservations; yet there remains much about Puritan thrift, hard work, and devotion … Here are some examples of Puritan laws: Sunday was a holy day. Peters was an Anglican priest hostile to the cause of American independence and had been forced to flee to London in late 1774, shortly before the Revolutionary War began; he made up 45 harsh laws as a hoax to discredit America as backwards and fanatical, and in 1781 published them in a book called A General History of Connecticut, which contains numerous other tall tales. The term was later applied to similar restrictions in other New England colonies. Puritan church members became worried that the colony was not based on the laws of God anymore. Three of his most bitterly resented false laws which refer to the observance of the Sabbath read thus:-- "No one shall travel, cook victuals, make beds, sweep house, cut hair, or shave … As for why these laws are “blue,” the legend was that the first-known codes were printed in New Haven on blue paper, but most researchers now believe that theory is unfounded. The merchants who sold items to police that Sunday—December 9, 1973—had done so in violation of Mississippi’s “blue law,” a 150-year-old law that restricted what businesses could sell on the Lord’s Day. Not observing the Sabbath with due reverence was an affront to God. "In the Puritan blue laws, you could suffer death for giving a Quaker directions for getting to the next town; that's really how severe it was," says Crabtree. Jan Howard, The Newtown Bee. The term was originally applied to the 17th-century laws of the theocratic New Haven colony, and appears to originate in A General History of Connecticut (London, 1781), by the Loyalist Anglican clergyman Samuel A. Peters, who had lived in Hebron, Conn. New Haven and other Puritan colonies … Whoever says there is power and jurisdiction above and over this Dominion, shall suffer death and loss of property. Conspiracy against this Dominion shall be punished with death. Puritan church members in the Massachusetts Bay colony, and later, Congregationalists elsewhere in New England, believed that their contractual relationship with God required them to enforce proper behavior in their communities. Businesses were allowed to operate on Sundays only in very limited form. Married persons must live together, or be imprisoned. Online “Awash in a Sea of Faith: Christianizing the American People”. Seventeenth-century New England Puritans took the Sabbath very seriously, enacting harsh measures, known as Blue Laws, to punish the impious. Peters' book popularized the term "blue laws", referring to laws restricting activities on Sunday. No one shall read Common-Prayer, keep Christmas or saints-days, make minced pies, dance, play cards, or play on any instrument of music, except the drum, trumpet, and the jaw harp. By Patrick J. Mahoney. It’s bad enough they used the law to force everyone in their […] One story about their origination is that Reverend Samuel Peters claimed in 1781 the Puritans wrote the laws on blue paper or they were bound in books with blue covers. Online “Blue laws as old as the South”. Among the odd ‘Blue Laws’ that the Puritans put in place when they settled in Massachusetts was the outright ban on celebrating the Christmas holiday in 1659. They had separate governments, but their hopes, their laws and their past history were almost identical. Therefore, trade and business were not allowed. Many were created to prevent hunting on the Sabbath. No one shall be a freeman, or give a vote, unless he be converted, and a member in full communion of one of the Churches allowed in this Dominion. … Blue laws have been part of U.S. Legal History since the colonial period. The term was originally applied to the 17th-century laws of the theocratic New Haven colony, and appears to originate in A General History of Connecticut (London, 1781), by the Loyalist Anglican clergyman Samuel A. Peters, who had lived in Hebron, Conn. New Haven and other Puritan colonies … Peters’s account of the New Haven Puritan government’s codes has been proved unreliable. The Blue Laws of the Colony of Connecticut are an invented set of harsh statutes governing conduct in the Puritan colony, listed in a history of Connecticut that was published in 1781 in London by the Reverend Samuel Peters, an Anglican who had been forced to leave America. Whippings, fines, burnt tongues, severed ears: such were the Puritans' penalties for breaches of the Sabbath. Church or "meeting" on Sunday included two-hour services in the morning and the afternoon. No gospel Minister shall join people in marriage; the magistrates only shall join in marriage, as they may do it with less scandal to Christ's Church. A person accused of trespass in the night shall be judged guilty, unless he clear himself by his oath. The selectmen, on finding children ignorant, may take them away from their parents, and put them into better hands, at the expense of their parents. Puritans Hated Sex, Even Within Marriage. Every rateable person, who refuses to pay his proportion to the support of the Minister of the town or parish, shall be fined by the Court £2, and £4 every quarter, until he or she pay the rate to the Minister. Every male shall have his hair cut round according to a cap. Gotta love the Puritans. In 1781, the Reverend Samuel Peters published A General History of Connecticut, in which he used the term blue laws to refer to a set of laws that the Puritans had enacted in the 1600s to control morality. The length and width of a lady’s sleeve was decided by law. The law’s original, puritanical purpose had been to ensure that Sunday remained a day for rest and Christian worship. Blue laws are not only uncommon in the United States but they are also outdated. They obviously could not be enforced with literal severity; and they generally fell into disuse after the Revolution. For example, in Connecticut, it is illegal to sell alcohol on Christmas day, unless of course you’re in a casino. Historically, the most famous (or infamous) blue laws prevent the purchase or sale of alcohol on Sundays. Her outer clothing was either a gown, or a waistcoat (fitted jacket) and skirt. Many blue laws have been repealed since the 1960s, but some laws that ban the sale of alcohol on Sunday remain in force. These laws, which today are usually referred to as Sunday closing laws, prohibit certain types of commercial activity on Sundays. They imposed restrictions upon private life and morals and public conduct, particularly on the Sabbath. In the days the Puritans formulated the blue laws, Virginia was looked upon as the home of high living and frivolity. Three of his most bitterly resented false laws which refer to the observance of the Sabbath read thus:-- Many states still prohibit hunting in various forms on Sundays. The Blue Laws of the Colony of Connecticut are an invented set of harsh statutes governing conduct in the Puritan colony, listed in a history of Connecticut that was published in 1781 in London by the Reverend Samuel Peters, an Anglican who had been forced to leave America. For laws created to enforce moral standards, see, American Electric Power Co. v. Connecticut, Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission, Connecticut Indian Land Claims Settlement, United States District Court for the District of Connecticut, "Notes and Queries: Blue Laws of Connecticut", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Blue_Laws_(Connecticut)&oldid=1009130940, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. The Sabbath shall begin at sunset on Saturday. [1][2][3][4], According to Peters the blue laws "were never suffered to be printed",[1][4] but especially in the 19th century they were confused with the Code of 1650 of the colonists of Connecticut and with the statutes drafted in 1655 by Governor Theophilus Eaton for the then unconnected Colony of New Haven, for which he drew on the writings of the Reverend John Cotton and the laws of the Massachusetts Bay Colony, and which were printed in London in blue covers for the use of the colonists.