Monday, April 8, 2019

Colonial Laws and Blue Laws

Massachusetts government officials have been passing laws since the seventeenth century, and all of them are documented in the holdings of the State Library. The Library’s collections include both original printings of the laws themselves, and compilations printed later, with annotations. For example, The First Laws of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, published in 1981, is a facsimile reprint of The perpetual laws of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, published in 1788-1789. These volumes include laws that concern many of the same topics we talk about today: a law where there is a penalty of thirty pounds if one destroys a white pine tree of certain dimensions, and another law against gaming for money or property with a penalty for “playing at cards, dice or billiards;” and one can be put to death by participating in a duel even if it did not result in death.

Another book called: Massachusetts Province Laws 1692-1699 (1978) quotes from the charter: “The Charter Granted by their Majesties King William and Queen Mary, to the inhabitants of the Province of The Massachusetts-Bay in New England” from 1699. There are laws against Atheism and Blasphemy.  The titles of these laws are written in a script that mimics typefaces used in the 1600s, with a long “S” looks like an “F”.

The expression “blue laws” has caused confusion over the years.  Some people thinks this means they were printed on blue paper, but an article in Boston Magazine says that this has been discounted and that the expression most likely means that they were laws done by a “bluenose,” or morally rigid person.  They also mention that nowadays it mostly refers to laws that restrict activities on Sundays. This included “drinking, but also card games, cussing, and just about any activity…especially ones that could affect church attendance on Sunday. The earliest known reference to these strictures as “blue laws” comes from a Connecticut history written in 1781 by the Reverend Samuel Peters.” The State Library has a letter edition of Peters’ work.  Some sources claim that Reverend Peters book has exaggerations or false claims about blue laws.

In March 1983 Governor Edward King signed a law allowing stores to be open on Sundays and Governor Mitt Romney signed a law in November 2003 allowing liquor sales on Sundays, Chapter 141 section 31 of the acts of 1983.

For More reading about this topic see these sources:

Blue Laws

Colonial Laws

Naomi Allen
Reference Staff
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