Blue Laws: As American as Apple Pie

Monday, January 28, 2008

Blue Laws: As American as Apple Pie
There are some that seek to re-write history and erroneous teach that early America was founded on anti-religous principles - however nothing is further then the truth. Sunday closing laws were in fact America's first labor laws - which honoured God, protected the family, protected the enviroment and protected the working poor and slaves from being over worked. As you can see from below all thirteen colonies had Sunday Closing laws and even a mention of Sunday observance is found in the Constitution of the United States!
~BMH
Constitution of the United States of America 1776
Article I, Section 7
"If any Bill shall not be returned by the President within ten Days (Sundays excepted) after it shall have been presented to him, the Same shall be a Law, in like Manner as if he had signed it, unless the Congress by their Adjournment prevent its Return, in which Case it shall not be a Law."
My Comment:
The "Sundays excepted" clause served to ensure that the President would not be forced to veto legislation on the Christian Sabbath.
Congress in the 1820's
Congress passed legislation that the United States Postial Service could not deliver mail on Sunday.
Connecticut 1656
Whosoever shall profane the Lord's day, or any part of it, either by sinful servile work, or by unlawful sport, recreation, or otherwise, whether wilfully or in a careless neglect, shall be duly punished by fine, imprisonment, or corporally, according to the nature, and the measure of the sin, and offence.
Delaware 1795
Whereas the penalties which have hitherto been inflicted upon those who profane the Lord's Day, commonly called Sunday, have been found insufficent to deter many persons from such immorality; therefore, Be it enacted ... that if any person or persons, after the passing of this act, shall do or perform any worldly employment, labor or business whatsoever, upon the Lord's Day, commonly called Sunday, (works of necessity and charity only excepted) ... such person or person so offending, for every such offense, shall forfeit the sum of four dollars; and upon the refusal or inablity to pay the said fine and the legal costs, he or she shall be imprisoned in the public goal of the country, for any space of time not exceeding twenty-four hours.
Georgia 1762
Whereas there is nothing more acceptable to God than the true and sincere worship and service, according to his holy will, and that the keeping holy of the Lord's day is a principal part of the true service, according to his holy will, that the keeping holy of the Lord's day is a principal part of the true service of God, which in his province is too much neglected by many .. be in enacted ... that all and every person and persons whatsoever, shall on every Lord's day, apply themselves to the observation of the same, by exercising themselves thereon in the duties of piety and true religion, publicly or privately, or having no reasonable or lawful excuse, on every Lord's day sahll resort to their parish church, or some meeting or assembly or religious worshi, tolerated and allowed by the laws of England, and there shall abide, orderly and soberly, during the time of prayer and preaching, on pain of forfeiture for every neglect of the sume of two shillings and sixpence Sterling.
II. That no tradesman, artificer, workman, laborer, or any person whatsoever, shall do or exercise any worldly labor, business or work or their ordinary callings upon the Lord's day, or any part thereof (works of necessity or charity only excepted) and that every person, being of the age of fifteen years or upwards, offending in the premises, shall, for every such offense, forfeit the sum of ten shillings.
Massachusetts 1797
Whereas the observance of the Lord's day is highly promotive of the welfare of a community, by affording necessary seasons for relaxation from labour and the cares of business; for moral relections and conversations on the duties of life, and the frequent errors of human conduct; for public and private worship of the Maker, Governor and Jundge of the world; and for those acts of charity which support and adorn a Christian society: And whereas some thoughtless and irreligious persons, inattentive to the duties and benefits of the Lord's day, profane the same, by unneccessarily pursuing their worldly business and recreations on that day, to their own great damage of the community, by producting dissipation of manners and immoralities of life: 1. Be in enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives, in General Court Assembled, and by the authority keep opon his, her or their shop, warehouse, or work-house, nor shall, upon land or water, do any manner of labor, business or work (works of necessity and charity only excepted) nor be present at any concert of music, dancing, or public diversion, show or entertainment, nor use any sport, game, play, or recreation, on the Lord's day, or any part thereof, upon penalty of a sum not exceeding twenty shillings, nor less than ten shillings, for every offense.
MaryLand 1723
Be it enacted, That no person whatsoever shall work or do any bodily labor on the Lord's day, commonly called Sunday, and that no person having children, servants, or slaves shall command, or wittingly or willingly suffer any of them to do any manner of work or labor on the Lord's day, (works of necessity and charity always excepted) nor shall suffer or permit any children, servants, or slaves, to profane the Lord's day by gaming, fishing, fowling, hunting, or unlawful pastimes or recreations; and that every person trangressing this act, and being thereof convict by the oath of one sufficient witness, or confession of the party before a single magistrate, shallforfeit two hundred pounds of tobacco, to be levied and applied as aforesaid.
New Hampshire 1700
That all and every person and persons whatsoever, shall on that day carefully apply themselves to duties of religion and piety, publicly and privately: and that no tradesman, artificer, or other person whatsoever, shall upon land or water, do or exercise, any labor, business, or work of their ordinary calling; nor use any game, sport, play, or recreation on the Lord's day, or any part thereof (works of necessity and mercy only excepted) upon pain that every person so offending shall foreit five shillings ...
And in case any such offender be unable or refused to satisfy such fine, to cause him to be put in the cage, or set in the stocks, not exceeding three hours.
New Jersey 1693
"Whereas, it hath been the practice of all societies of Christian professors to set aside one day in the week for the worship and service of God, and that it hath been and is the ancient law of England, (according to the practice of the primitive Christians) to set apart the first day of the week to that end, and finding by experience that the same good practice and law hath been greatly neglected in this province, to the grief of such as profess the Christian religion, and to the scandal thereof. Be it therefore enacted ... that if any person or persons shall within this province be found doing any unnecessary servile labor, or shall travel upon the Lord's day, or first day (except to some religious service or worship, or otherwise in case of necessity) or shall be found tippling, sporting, or gaming, thereby profaning the Lord's day, or first day, shall, upon conviction thereof before one justice of the peace, forfeit and pay for every such offense six shillings."
New York 1695
Whereas the true and sincere service and worship of God, according to his holy will and commandments, is often profaned and neglected by many of the inhabitants and sojourners within this Province, who do not keep holy the Lord's day, but in a disorderly manner, accustom themselves to travel, laboring, working, shooting, fishing, sporting, playing, horseracing, frequenting of tippling-houses, and the using of many other unlawful exercises and pastimes upon the Lord's day, to the great scandal of the holy Christian faith: Be it therefore enacted ... that there shall be no travelling, servile labloring and working, shooting, fishing, sporting, playing, horse racing, hunting, or frequenting of tippling-houses, or the use of any other unlawful exercises or pastimes, by any of the inhabitants or sojourners within this Proviince, or by any of their slaves or servants, on the premises shall forfet for every offense the sum of six shillings ... and in default of such distress, that the party offending, to be set publicly in the stocks by the space of three hours.
North Carolina 1741
Whereas in well-regulated governments effectual care is always taken that the day set aside for public worship be observed and kept holy; and, to suppress vice and immorality, Wherefore ... be it enacted ... that all and every person and persons whatsoeve shall, on the Lord's Day, commonly called Sunday, carefully apply themselves to the duties of religion and piety; and that no tradesman, artisan, planter, laborer, or other person whatsoever, shall upon the land or water do or exercise any labor, business, or work of their ordinary calling, (works of charity and necessity only excepted) nor employ themselves either in hunting, fishing, or fowling, nor use any game, sport, or play, on the Lord's Day aforesaid, or any part thereof, upon pain that ever person so offending, being of the age of fourteen years and upwards, shall forfeit and pay the sum of ten shilling.
Pennsylvania 1682
But to the end That Looseness, irreligion, and Atheism may not Creep in under the pretense of Conscience in this Province, Be It further Enacted by the Authority aforesaid, That, according to the example of the primitive Christians, and for the ease of the Creation, Every first day of the week, called the Lord's day, People shall abstain from their usual and common toil and labour, That whether Masters, Parents, Children, or Servants, they may the better dispose themselves to read the Scriptures of truth at home, or frequent such meetings of religious worship abroad, as may best sute their respective persuasions.
Rhode Island 1679
Be in enacted by the General Assembly, and by the authority of the same, That no persons within this Colony shall do or exercise any labor or business or work of their ordinary calling, nor use any game, sport, play or recreation on the first day of the week, nor suffer the same to be done by their children, servants or apprentices (works of necessity and charity only excepted), on the penalty of five shillings for every such offense ... together with the reasonable charges accruing thereon; and in the case such offender shall not have sufficient to satisfy the same, then to be set in the stocks by the space of three hours.
South Carolina 1885
"any worldly labor, business, or work of the ordinary callings upon the Lord's Day" is forbidden.
Tennessee 1803
If any person shall be guilty of exercising any of the common vocations of life, or of causing or permitting the same to be done by his children of his servants, acts of real necessity or charity excepted, on Sunday, he shall, on due conviction thereof before any justice of the peace of the county, forfeit and pay ten dollars ($10.00), one half to the person who will sue for the same, the other half for the use of the county.
Texas 1871
Be it enacted by the Legislature of the State of Texas, That any person or persons who shall hereafter labor, or compel, force or oblige his or her employes, workmen or apprentices to labor on the Lord's day, shall be deemed guilty of a mis-demeanor, and upon coniction thereof, shall be fined in a sum of not less than ten, nor more than fifty dollars; provided, that household duties, works of necessity and charity shall not be prohibited by his act; and provided further, than this act shall not apply to any work done on plantations and farms that may be necessary to prevent the loss of any crop or crops.
Texas 1925
Example of certificate of necessity
"I hereby certify that the following item(s) of personal property are needed by me as an emergency for the welfare _______ of human ______ life;
[here follows a space for listing the items purchased]
and that the purchase of each such item is an emergency purchase to protect the welfare _____ of human _______ life, and I have so advised Shoppers World, from whom I have purchased such item(s). Signture
Virginia 1786
If any person on Sunday shall himself be found labouring at his own or any other trade or calling, or shall employ his apprentices, servants or slaves in labour, or other business, except it be in the ordinary household offices of daily necessity, or other work of necessity or charity, he shall forfeit the sum of ten shillings for every such offence, deeming every apprentice, servant or slave so employed, and every day he shall be so employed as constituting a distinct offence.