Archer (a man of color) v. James Dunlap & Joseph Collins
Trespass for FreedomWritten by Lyndon Comstock Trial and Judgment of the Greenup County Circuit CourtJuly 1835Appellate Decision of the Kentucky Court of AppealsJune 18, 1838Chief Justice Robertson delivered the opinionMr. J. T. Morehead, attorney for the plaintiff. Mr. Turner, attorney for the defendants. Introduction This was a highly unusual case because it was brought by a man, Archer, who was held as a slave and who was suing for his freedom in antebellum Kentucky. Ordinarily slaves did not even have standing to file a lawsuit, as I understand it, since they were regarded as property rather than persons. Equally remarkable, […]
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