The End of the 'Coolie Trade'
A new federal law moves to criminalize the transportation of indentured Chinese laborers on American ships.
The story, cleaned up
A cleaned-up reading of the newspaper page: spelling and layout repaired, one story lifted off a crowded page. It follows the original closely but it is not a transcription. The original page is below; read it if a detail matters.
An Act to prohibit the 'coolie trade' by American citizens in American vessels: No citizen of the United States shall build, equip, or load any vessel for the purpose of procuring from China the inhabitants known as 'coolies' to be transported to any foreign country to be disposed of for any term of years as servants or apprentices. Any ship so employed, including her tackle and apparel, shall be forfeited to the United States. Furthermore, any person who assists in this trade shall be liable to be indicted, fined up to two thousand dollars, and imprisoned for up to two years. Nothing in this act shall be construed to apply to any free and voluntary emigration of a Chinese subject, provided that a certificate is signed by a United States consul at the port of departure proving the person's voluntary status.
“No citizen... shall build, equip, load, or otherwise prepare, any ship or vessel... for the purpose of procuring from China... the inhabitants or subjects of China, known as 'coolies,' to be transported to any foreign country.”
This 1862 legislation represents a pivotal moment in US maritime and labor policy, attempting to curb the exploitative system of indentured servitude that preceded the total exclusion acts. It highlights the federal government's increasing role in regulating international human movement, a theme that continues to shape contemporary debates on labor migration and border security.
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