American slave court cases

The following is a list of court cases in the United States concerning slavery.
Date Case Court Ruling
Pompey Brakkee had been held as a slave by Elijah Lovell after
Vermont
1779 Brakkee v. Lovell slavery was made illegal in Vermont. Lovell failed to appear and
Superior Court
Brakkee was awarded 400 pounds sterling.[1]
Berkshire
Slaves Brom and Bett (Elizabeth Freeman) were freed on the basis
Brom and Bett v. County Court
1781 that the Massachusetts constitution provided that "all men are born
Ashley of Common
free and equal." This case was a precedent for the following one.
Pleas
Worcester Jennison's slave, Quock Walker, was found to be a freedman on the
Quock Walker v.
1781 Conty Court of basis that slavery was contrary to the Bible and the Massachusetts
Jennison
Common Pleas Constitution.
Justice William Cushing instructs jury that "slavery is in my
Massachusetts
Commonwealth v. judgment as effectively abolished as it can be by the granting of
1783 Supreme
Jennison rights and privileges wholly incompatible and repugnant to its
Judicial Court
existence."[2]
Supreme Court A slave owned by Beatty had bought a slave girl Sally and
Guardian of Sally
1792 of South manumitted her. Chief Justice John Rutledge instructed the jury that
v. Beatty
Carolina such an act of generosity on Sally's behalf should not be overturned.
Jackey Wright and her two children were freed based on her claim of
Virginia
1806 Hudgins v. Wright maternal descent from Native American women. Indian slavery had
Supreme Court
been prohibited in Virginia since 1705.
Decker's slave Harry was freed, and slaves residing in the Northwest
Harry v. Decker & Supreme Court
1818 Territory become free as per the Ordinance of 1787, and may assert
Hopkins of Mississippi
their rights in court.
Indiana gave freedom to blacks in the state who had been held as
Supreme Court
1820 Polly v. Lasselle slaves in the territory prior to Indiana's state constitutional ban on
of Indiana
slavery.
Supreme Court
North Carolina v. Slaveowners were ruled to have absolute authority over their slaves
1830 of North
Mann and could not be found guilty of committing violence against them.
Carolina
A freedom suit of Rachel, a slave who sued for freedom from John
Supreme Court
1834 Rachel v. Walker Walker in the Supreme Court of Missouri, and won based on his
of Missouri
having held her in the free state of Illinois.
Massachusetts
Commonwealth v. A slave named Med was freed on the grounds that any slave brought
1836 Supreme
Aves to a free state by his or her owner was thereby set free.
Judicial Court
Denied a deed of manumission in Ohio for a citizen of Mississippi's
Supreme Court mixed-race son and his slave mother, because it was against
1838 Hinds v. Brazealle
of Mississippi Mississippi statutes (which required an act by the state legislature),
and was considered fraud
United States v. As the Africans in question were never legal property, they were not
Supreme Court
Libellants and criminals and had rightfully defended themselves in mutiny. They
1841 of the United
Claimants of the were unlawfully kidnapped, and the Court directed the President to
States
Schooner Amistad transport them in return to Africa.
Supreme Court Overturned the conviction of slavecatcher Edward Prigg in
Prigg v.
1842 of the United Pennsylvania based on the ruling that Federal law (which provides
Pennsylvania
States for recovery of fugitive slaves) supersedes State law.
Supreme Court The status of three slaves who traveled from Kentucky to the free
1851 Strader v. Graham of the United states of Indiana and Ohio depended on Kentucky slave law rather
States than Ohio law, which had abolished slavery.
Superior Court
Lemmon v. New Granted freedom to slaves who were brought into New York by their
1852 of the City of
York Virginia slave owners, while in transit to Texas.
New York
 1853 Holmes v. Ford Oregon Granted freedom to a family of slaves who had been brought to
Territorial Oregon with their master from Missouri, as this action violated the
Supreme Court Organic Laws of Oregon, which did not allow slavery.
People of African descent imported into the United States and held
Supreme Court
Dred Scott v. as slaves, or their descendants — whether or not they were slaves
1857 of the United
Sandford — were not included under the Constitution and could never be
States
citizens of the United States.
Held that state courts cannot issue rulings that contradict the
Supreme Court
decisions of federal courts, in this case overturning the
1859 Ableman v. Booth of the United
unconstitutionality ruling by the Wisconsin Supreme Court of the
States
Fugitive Slave Law of 1850.

See also
Freedom suit
Slavery in the colonial United States
Slavery in the United States
Slave trade acts
The Abolition Riot of 1836 took place in a courtroom

References
1. Mello, Robert A. (2014). Moses Robinson and the Founding of Vermont. Vermont Historical
Society. ISBN 978-0934720656.
2. "The Quock Walker Case" (http://www.mass.gov/courts/sjc/constitution-slavery-e.html).
Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court (mass.gov). Retrieved October 4, 2009.

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This page was last edited on 22 August 2019, at 16:04 (UTC).

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