so that slaves may finally learn their place in society, the 1735 code forbid them to wear any clothing “above the condition of slaves,” confining them to “negro cloth, duffelds, coarse kearsies, osnabrigs, blue linnen, checked linen or coarse garlix or calicoes, checked cottons or scotch plaids, not exceeding ten shillings per yard for the said checked cottons, scotch plaids, garlix or calico.” One historian comments that “the requirement that he always wear the most inferior clothing—‘negro cloth’—ensured that he never have an appearance giving him even miniscule status.”
