BLUE LAWS

BLUE LAWS. The term "blue law" originated in 1755. It was used by Reverend Samuel Peters in his book, The General History of Connecticut to describe laws created by the Puritan colonies in the 1600s to prohibit business activities on Sunday. (1) Although in rare instances, blue laws affected activities on other days they were commonly known as “Sunday laws.” In the 18th century, “blue” was used as a disparaging term to describe strict moral codes and the people who observed them. This led to the terms “bluenoses” and “blue movies.” (2)

Within twelve years of the writing of the Constitution, many states had Sunday laws in effect that outlawed working, traveling, and selling goods on Sunday. These laws were expanded to prohibit the selling of alcoholic beverages. In many parts of the United States during the 18th and 19th centuries, people were regularly arrested for breaking the “Sabbath.” These “criminals” were often fined or forced to serve a jail sentence. (3)

In April, 1838 an ordinance was passed in Dubuque preventing steamboats from being unloaded on Sunday. This caused great controversy and a public meeting was called to repeal the measure. (4) In October 1895 several barbers secretly opened their shops for business. Those who followed the law met on October 24th and voted to establish two committees--spotting and warning. If a barber shop was spotted in operation, a warning committee would warn the owner that if the business continued on Sunday he would be arrested and prosecuted. (5)

As American culture became more secular, Sunday laws lost popularity. Hundreds of "Sunday laws" in various states have been repealed. Others remain. In Colorado, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Louisiana, Maine, Minnesota, Missouri, Oklahoma, New Jersey, North Dakota, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin, car dealerships continue to operate under blue-law prohibitions which state an automobile may not be purchased or traded on a Sunday. (6)

---

Source:

1. "Liquor Blue Laws," Online: http://www.liquorlaws.net/bluelaws.html

2. "What Are Blue Laws?" Online: http://www.sabbathtruth.com/free-resources/article-library/id/1840/what-are-blue-laws

3. Ibid.

4. Oldt, Franklin T. and Patrick J. Quigley, The History of Dubuque County, Iowa, Chicago: Goodspeed Historical Association, 1890, p. 60

5. "Barbers Excited," Dubuque Daily Herald, October 25, 1895, p. 8

6. "Blue Laws," Wikipedia. Online: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blue_law