In Texas, slaves could be whipped by any white person, not just owners
It is unlikely that slaves in Texas were ever apprised of the state laws that governed their behavior unless they had broken the rules and were in the process of being punished.
In the Texas State Gazette of Jan. 11, 1851, the law governing slaves was printed and it further restricted the movements of those held in captivity. In some cases slave holders were made responsible for the law being followed but the slaves were the ones who received the lashes.
This was true even when the slave holders knowingly ordered the slaves to break the law.
For instance, slaves were absolutely forbidden to possess firearms of any sort for any length of time outside their home plantation, even if they been given the guns to carry by a slave holder. If a slave was caught carrying a gun the punishment was severe: No less than 39 lashes, nor more than 50.
That number of lashes could be deadly and even if survived could cause lifetime disabilities.
The slave holders, however, could only be fined, a range of no less than $25 or more than $100.
For slaves, just getting lost on an errand was dangerous. The law required that slaves not leave the property owned by the slave holder at any time on a Sunday, without written permission. They were also not allowed to be away on any day after 10 p.m.
If that happened and they were spotted — by any white person — the white man was allowed to administer up to 10 lashes at his discretion, without asking anyone’s permission or getting any approval from a judge or officer of the law.
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