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 the laws that created by the Puritan colonies in the 1600s to prohibit business activities on Sundays. (1) In rare instances, blue laws affected activities on days other than Sunday, but the most common used was in reference to Sunday, leading them to also be known as “Sunday laws.” These laws were severely criticized by many. In the 18th century, “blue” was used as a disparaging term to describe strict moral codes and the people who observed them. This also led to the terms “bluenoses” and “blue movies.” (2)

Within 12 years of the writing of the Constitution, many states had Sunday laws in effect that outlawed working, traveling, and selling goods on that day. Laws were later added 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.” This usually came as a result of conducting business on Sunday. 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 were secretly opening their shops for business. Those who followed the law met on October 24th and voted to establish two committees--spotting and warning. If a business was spotted open, a warning committee would tell the offender that if the barber was found to be conducting Sunday business again he would be arrested and prosecuted. (5)

As our 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 Hundreds of Sunday laws in various states have been repealed.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 in which an automobile may not be purchased or traded on a Sunday. (6)

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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