The U.S. Constitution, Article IV Section 2 - escaped slaves must be returned to their rightful owners.
Pennsylvania law of 1826- It is a felony to kidnap and detain someone without going through proper procedure.
In 1793 Congress passed the first Fugitive Slave Act.
Research cont.
Prigg pleaded to the Supreme Court.
He knew that they would rule in favor with him.
Justice Joseph Story argued the national government was forced by the the Constitution to return runaway slaves.
Prigg knew his actions were constitutional.
Pennsylvania state police arrested Prigg and charged him with kidnapping.
Pennsylvania law was unconstitutional.
Analysis
Works Cited
"Fugitive Slave Acts (1793, 1850)." Major Acts of Congress. Ed. Brian K. Landsberg. Vol. 2. Gale Cengage, 2004. eNotes.com. 18 Dec, 2012
“Prigg v. Pennsylvania: Slavery, The Supreme Court, and the Ambivalent Constitution.”, Student Research Center, 01 September 2012. Web. 23 October 2012
“Prigg v. Pennsylvania (1842)”, Credo reference, 2007. Web. 23 October 2012
“Prigg v. Pennsylvania (1842)”, Gale Opposing Viewpoints, 2011. Web. 23 October 2012
“U.S. Supreme Court”, FindLaw. Web. 23 October 2012
“Prigg v. Pennsylvania (1842)”, Black Past, 2007-2011, Web. 23 October 2012
“Prigg v. Pennsylvania” Gale Encyclopedia of American Law. 2010. Web. 23 October 2012.
The Supreme Court ruled in favor of Edward Prigg.
In a 8-1 vote, the court reversed his conviction.
Northern free states fought back.
Research
In 1832 Margret Morgan, a slave, fleed from her owner, Margret Ashmore, in Maryland to go to Pennsylvania.
In 1837 Ashmore hires Edward Prigg to bring her slave back.
Prigg going against Pennsylvania law and seizes Morgan and her children and goes back to Maryland.
Analysis cont.
The Fugitive Slave Act of 1850
The Division on the Issue of Slavery
The Civil War
Invention
In the mind of a Justice, that was against slavery.
How she felt in court, and how she felt on the subject of slavery.