Strader v. Graham facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Strader v. Graham |
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| Full case name | Jacob Strader, James Gorman, and John Armstrong, Plaintiffs in Error, v. Christopher Graham |
| Citations | 51 U.S. 82 (more)
10 How. 82; 13 L. Ed. 337
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| Majority | Taney |
Strader v. Graham was an important case decided by the U.S. Supreme Court in 1851. This case was about the legal status of three enslaved people who traveled from the state of Kentucky to the states of Indiana and Ohio. The Court had to decide if Kentucky law or Ohio law should determine their freedom.
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Understanding Strader v. Graham
This court case involved a man named Christopher Graham. He owned three enslaved people. These three individuals traveled from Kentucky to Cincinnati, Ohio. They made this journey on a steamboat. The steamboat was owned by Jacob Strader and James Gorman. John Armstrong was the pilot of the boat.
What Happened in the Case?
After arriving in Ohio, the three enslaved people managed to escape. They traveled further north and eventually reached Canada. Canada was a place where slavery was not allowed. Christopher Graham, the owner, then sued the steamboat owners. He argued that they were responsible for his enslaved people escaping.
The Court's Decision
The U.S. Supreme Court heard the case. The Court decided that the legal status of the enslaved people depended on the laws of Kentucky. Kentucky was the state where they lived and from which they had traveled. The Court said that once enslaved people returned to a slave state, their status was determined by that state's laws.
Why Was This Case Important?
The Strader v. Graham decision was significant for a few reasons. The Court looked at the Northwest Ordinance of 1787. This was a law that helped organize new territories. It said that slavery was not allowed in these territories. However, the Supreme Court decided that this Ordinance only applied to territories. It did not apply to states that later joined the United States. This meant that states had the power to decide their own laws about slavery. This case showed how complicated the laws about slavery were in the United States before the American Civil War.
