Somerset Vs Stewart Case Summary

Somerset V. Stewart Case was a legal case that took place in England in 1772. The debate was whether James Somerset, a previously enslaved African man who escaped to England, should be freed or not. This court case took place during the colonial period of America and although it was an English court case, its significance traveled further than England’s border and even to the colonies. This case played an indirect but major role in what would become American history. Somerset V. Stewart's legal case foreshadowed conflict about slavery that would eventually meet its peak in the American Civil War. Ultimately not only was this case eye-opening and effective in England, but it also ended up influencing America and placed an implication on slavery

In England, when this took place, this case challenged slavery and whether the institution of slavery was supported. Lord Mansfield in his ruling was significant because slavery that American colonies partake in isn't supported by the English common law. He declared that a person couldn't be forced out of England and sold into slavery somewhere else. This court case foreshadowed the United States by moving the abolishment of slavery in England, which would later affect America’s implications with slavery and the principle of habeas corpus was introduced. These repercussions foreshadow America's development. Additionally, the precedent that Somerset vs Stewart set didn’t abolish England’s slavery, which undermined the basis for slavery. One of the ways this was done was with the concept of Habeas corpus. Habeas corpus is a principle that protects individual liberty by preventing imprisonment. This principle is extremely important because it allows custody-held individuals to challenge the legality of the detention to the court. Habeas corpus also is a governmental power check and keeps individuals secure of both legal justification and liberty. In the Somerset