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Daily National Intelligencer
Washington, District Of Columbia
What is this article about?
On April 4, Napoleon, Emperor of the French, issues a decree abolishing the slave trade in France and its colonies. It prohibits clearances for slave ships, bans importing slaves for sale, imposes confiscation penalties for violations, allows disposal of pre-existing cargoes, and charges ministers with execution. Signed by Napoleon and the Duke of Bassano.
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April 4.
Napoleon, Emperor of the French: we have decreed and do decree as follows:
Art. 1st. From the date of the publication of the present decree, the slave trade is abolished; there shall not be granted any clearance for this commerce neither in the ports of France or her colonies.
Art. 2d. There shall not be imported for sale, in our colonies, any blacks obtained by the aforementioned traffic, either by Frenchmen or foreigners.
Art. 3d. The violation of the present decree shall be punished by the confiscation of the vessel and cargo; judgment to be pronounced by our courts and tribunals.
Art. 4th. Nevertheless, merchants who have fitted out vessels for this trade before the publication of the present decree, shall be allowed to dispose of the cargoes in our colonies.
Art. 5th. Our ministers are charged with the execution of the present decree.
Signed NAPOLEON.
The minister secretary of state, Duke of BASSANO.
What sub-type of article is it?
What keywords are associated?
What entities or persons were involved?
Where did it happen?
Foreign News Details
Primary Location
France And Her Colonies
Event Date
April 4
Key Persons
Outcome
abolition of the slave trade; prohibition of clearances and imports; confiscation of violating vessels and cargo; allowance for pre-publication cargoes.
Event Details
Napoleon decrees the abolition of the slave trade from publication date, no clearances in French or colonial ports, no imports of slaves for sale by French or foreigners, violations punished by confiscation via courts, exception for merchants with prior fittings to dispose of cargoes, ministers charged with execution.