Police

Colonial America through the 19th Century

Some scholars have argued that policing in the United States was rooted in the slave patrols of Colonial America. As enslaved African labor became more indispensable to the colonial economy, the landed wealthy slave owners, primarily of English descent, sought to monitor and control enslaved African labor. Slave patrols were used to guard against slave revolts, capture runaway slaves, and deter runaways. As this system grew and became institutionalized, it came to resemble the modern police force. One example is the Charleston, South Carolina, police force, which became one of the nation's largest by the early 1800s.

Socially prominent Americans of English descent shaped the formation of major U.S. institutions, often turning to England for inspiration. Historians note that the model for the modern police force in the United States was the London Metropolitan Police, which was formed in 1829. The economic and social conditions of U.S. cities during the mid-19th century were frequently chaotic. Native-born Protestants, European immigrant groups (mostly from Ireland), and free African Americans battled for their place in the U.S. social and economic system. Northern cities experienced increased urban turmoil and draft riots just prior to and during the Civil War. The formation of police forces in many U.S. cities during the mid-1800s was demanded by powerful citizens to maintain public order and stop the rioting. During the draft riots, the racial/ethnic makeup of the police officers often determined which racial/ethnic groups received police protection. Members of African American communities, for example, could not rely on the police to protect them from violent attacks by members of “White” ethnic groups.

The United States expanded its territorial boundaries throughout the 19th century and absorbed members of multiple indigenous groups as well as Mexican citizens. Raw materials essential for industrial expansion were discovered on these lands, and immigrants from Asia and Europe worked in mining, the building [Page 1054]of communication and transportation infrastructure, and industry. Policing agencies were seen as essential to supervise and control these groups. The Texas Rangers, one of the first statewide policing agencies, was created in 1835 in large part to police the border with Mexico. Chinese immigrants experienced disproportionate surveillance and control by police enforcing discriminatory laws. In both instances, officers from White ethnic groups policed members from “minority” ethnic groups—those without economic and political power. However, “tribal” police on reservations were often composed of members from both the indigenous ethnic groups and White groups. In industrialized areas, workers from White ethnic and African American groups fought for labor rights against the owners of industry and their private police forces such as the Pinkerton Agency and the Coal and Iron Police. Local police often were sympathetic to the workers from their racial/ethnic group but not to other workers. For example, although Irish policemen were generally sympathetic to Irish workers, they were hostile to African Americans and other competing groups.

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