Habeas corpus case records, 1820-1863, of the United States Circuit Court for the District of Columbia [electronic resource], 1820-1863.

English

2 manuscripts; 1,620 items.

These records include orders to produce a prisoner and show cause for capture and detention. Among them is a series of papers that relate to fugitive slaves, 1853-1863, due to the enactment of the Fugitive Slave Act of 1850. The Act allowed claimants to recover fugitives by applying to federal judges and commissioners to establish ownership. Slave owners routinely used writs to reclaim runaway slaves. The records include the actual writs, petitions for writs, return of writs, orders of the Court, and other papers filed in habeas corpus proceedings.

Reproduction of the originals from the National Archives (United States). Reproduced courtesy of World Microfilms Publications.

Access limited to authorized users.

Electronic reproduction. Farmington Hills, Mich. : Gale, 2009. Available via the World Wide Web. Access limited by licensing agreements.

Slavery and anti-slavery: a transnational archive

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