Editing Fleur-de-lis (section)

===French colonial empire===

In the [[French colonial empire]], the ''[[Code Noir]]'', a [[Slave codes|slave code]] drafted by [[Jean-Baptiste Colbert]], stipulated that [[Slavery in France|enslaved people]] should be [[Human branding|branded]] with the ''fleur-de-lis'' as punishment for a variety of crimes, including attempting to escape enslavement or theft. French officials in the colony of [[Isle de France (Mauritius)|Isle de France]] (modern-day [[Mauritius]]), which adopted the ''Code Noir'' in 1685, punished slaves who attempted to escape or stole property by branding them with the ''fleur-de-lis''.<ref>Bernardin de Saint-Pierre{{Google books|syLiLzkVkAoC|Journey to Mauritius|page= 15}}</ref> In the French colony of [[Louisiana (New France)|Louisiana]], which adopted the ''Code Noir'' in 1724, [[History of slavery in Louisiana|slaves]] who attempted to escape and were recaptured would be branded on one shoulder with the ''fleur-de-lis'' along with having their ears cut off. If they attempted to escape a second time, they would be punished by being branded with the ''fleur-de-lis'' again and have their [[hamstring]]s cut. [[Capital punishment]] was used for those who attempted to escape a third time.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://eu.usatoday.com/story/news/nation-now/2015/07/10/historians-say-fleur-de-lis-has-troubled-history/29951369/ | title=Historians say fleur-de-lis has troubled history }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.uark.edu/ua/nc/ClarinetCollections/Heinrich%20Gehring/Fleur-de-Lis/Fleur-de-Lis.htm |title=The Fleur-de-lis |access-date=24 April 2017 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20170513022919/http://www.uark.edu/ua/nc/ClarinetCollections/Heinrich%20Gehring/Fleur-de-Lis/Fleur-de-Lis.htm |archive-date=13 May 2017 |url-status=dead}}</ref>

Louisiana's version of the ''Code Noir'' stated:
{{blockquote|XXXII. The runaway slave, who shall continue to be so for one month from the day of his being denounced to the officers of justice, shall have his ears cut off, and shall be branded with the fleur-de-lis on the shoulder: and on a second offence of the same nature, persisted in during one month from the day of his being denounced, he shall be hamstrung, and be marked with the fleur-de-lis on the other shoulder. On the third offence, he shall suffer death.<ref>{{cite web| author= BlackPast |url= https://www.blackpast.org/african-american-history/louisianas-code-noir-1724/ |title=(1724) Louisiana's Code Noir is italicized|date= 28 July 2007 |publisher=Blackpast.org |access-date=2019-12-28}}</ref>}}

Branding slaves with the ''fleur-de-lis'' was also a punishment used in the French colony of [[Saint-Domingue]].<ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.theguardian.com/books/2020/oct/11/black-spartacus-the-epic-life-of-toussaint-louverture-review-superb-history-of-haiti | title=Black Spartacus: The Epic Life of Toussaint Louverture review – superb history of Haiti | newspaper=The Observer | date=11 October 2020 | last1=Thomson | first1=Ian }}</ref>