Work / monument · text

Code Noir

1685 · 17th century

The Code Noir was a decree issued by Louis XIV in 1685 to regulate slavery in the French colonies of the Caribbean. It defined enslaved people as property, set harsh punishments, required Catholic baptism and restricted freedom for the enslaved. A revised version was issued for Louisiana in 1724, and it remained in force until slavery was abolished.

Code Noir — Image: France, Louis XV, Prault pere · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons

Mentioned in 4 state histories

Colony of Martinique Colony of Guadeloupe Saint-Domingue French Louisiana

See also

Cite this entry

APA: The Epoch Institute. (2026). Code Noir. In The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/code-noir
MLA: “Code Noir.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/code-noir. Accessed .
Chicago: The Epoch Institute. “Code Noir.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/code-noir.
Harvard: The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘Code Noir’, The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/code-noir (Accessed: ).

Last reviewed October 2026Random entry ↻