At the Town Meeting held August 21, 1730, the Selectmen voted that “No Negro’s [sic] Indians or Molatto [sic] Slaves shall be suffered or allowed to walk in this Town after nine of ye Clock at Night on pain and penalty of ye Law in that case made & provided.” This curfew comes on the heals on a smallpox outbreak and was likely an attempt by the Selectmen to limit the spread of disease. Nevertheless, it speaks to the fact that enslaved individuals were moving about the town at night, probably to meet friends and family.
