In the Shadow of Dred Scott: St. Louis Freedom Suits and the Legal Culture of Slavery in Antebellum America

by Kelly Kennington

Book Overview

The Dred Scott suit for freedom, argues Kelly M. Kennington, was merely the most famous example of a phenomenon that was more widespread in antebellum American jurisprudence than is generally recognized. The author draws on the case files of more than three hundred enslaved individuals who, like Dred Scott and his family, sued for freedom in the local legal arena of St. Louis. Her findings open new perspectives on the legal culture of slavery and...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0820345520
• ISBN13: 9780820345529
• Release Date: April 2019
• Publisher: University of Georgia Press
• Length: 310 Pages
• Weight: 1.05 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.8" x 6.0" x 9.0"