1777-Aug.-09: King Louis XVI of France issued a royal declaration known as the “police des noirs” to regulate the presence of black people within the metropole.

1777-Aug.-09: King Louis XVI of France issued a royal declaration known as the “police des noirs” to regulate the presence of black people within the metropole. The decree aimed to restrict the entry of enslaved people and free people of color into France, reflecting anxieties about racial mixing and the spread of egalitarian ideas. It required all black residents to register with local authorities and threatened deportation for those who violated the terms of their residency. This legislation was a direct response to the increasing number of enslaved people brought to France by colonial planters. It established a legal framework for racial exclusion that preceded the more radical debates of the French Revolution.