Neither fugitive nor free : Atlantic slavery, freedom suits, and the legal culture of travel / Edlie L. Wong.

9780814794555 (cl : alk. paper)
0814794556 (cl : alk. paper)
9780814794562 (pb : alk. paper)
0814794564 (pb : alk. paper)
9780814795460 (e-book)

New York : New York University Press, [2009]

©2009

English

1 online resource (348 pages) : illustrations, map.

PS217.S55 W66 2009

810.93552

Studies lawsuits to gain freedom for slaves on the grounds of their having traveled to free territory, starting with Somerset v. Stewart (England, 1772), Commonwealth v. Aves (Massachussetts, 1836), Dred Scott v. Sanford, and cases brought questioning the legitimacy of Negro Seamen Acts in the antebellum coastal South. These lawsuits and accounts of them are compared to fugitive slave narratives to shed light on both. The differing impact of freedom obtained from such suits for men and women (women could claim that their children were free, once they were judged free) is examined.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Access limited to authorized users.

Description based on print version record.

America and the long 19th century.

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