The 'Code Noir,' passed in 1685 under King Louis XIV, defined the rules of slavery in France's colonies. The Assemblée Nationale voted to symbolically repeal it on Thursday The Black Code was a set of articles drafted during the 17th century by the powerful first minister of state Jean-Baptiste Colbert. Commissioned by King Louis XIV, its purpose was to regulate the lives of enslaved people and their masters in the French Caribbean colonies. For example, several paragraphs detail punishments for escape attempts as well as the obligation for slaves to adopt Catholicism. submitted by /u/Bakyumu [link] [comments]