Georgia Commons House of Assembly

An Act to Prohibit and Punish the Murder of Free Indians

June 20, 1774

"Whereas it has been represented that some Indians in Amity with this province have been barbarously murdered to the great Scandal of Society and the danger of involving this province in a bloody and expensive War; And there is reason to believe that several ill disposed persons have not Considered such inhuman Actions in a proper light, but, being influenced by the ill grounded prejudices which ignorant minds are apt to conceive against persons differing in Colour from themselves, and unaware of the Consequences have rather looked on those Murders as meritorious, to discourage therefore as much as may be such unchristianlike and Cruel practices and to explain and set forth the great danger thereof, It is declared by his Excellency Sir James Wright Baronet Captain General and Governor in Chief in and over this his Majesty's Province of Georgia by and with the advice and Consent of the Honorable the Council, and Commons House of Assembly of the said province in General Assembly met and by the Authority of the same, That to murder any free Indian in Amity with this Province is by the Law of the land as penal to all intents and purposes what soever [sic] as to Murder any white person; And to the end that all persons may know the Consequence of rescuing any prisoner Committed for the Murder of any free Indian in Amity with this province, It is Also declared that by the Law of the Land any person rescuing any such prisoner so Committed is guilty of Felony."

Source: Alden T. Vaughn and Deborah A. Rosen eds., Early American Indian Documents: Treaties and Laws, 1607-1789, Volume XVI Carolina and Georgia Laws (Bethesda, Md.: University Publications of America, 1998), pp. 448-449. Originally taken from Allen D. Candler ed., Colonial Records of Georgia, Vol. XIX, pp. 36-37.

Go to Diaries, Journals, and Letters Related to Georgia page

Go to Historical Documents Related to Georgia page

Go to Georgia History page

Go to GeorgiaInfo Home