who was celias lawyer in celia a slave

What was the name of Celia's lawyer?

Celia was granted a court-appointed attorney named John Jameson, a highly respected member of the community, former Congressman, and himself a slaveholder. Jameson was considered a good man: a “good” slaveholder, middle of the road in his politics, someone who could give Celia a fair effort.

What is the story of Celia a slave?

Celia, A Slave began in the fall of 1855. Celia was granted a court-appointed attorney named John Jameson, a highly respected member of the community, former Congressman, and himself a slaveholder. Jameson was considered a good man: a “good” slaveholder, middle of the road in his politics, someone who could give Celia a fair effort.

Who was the jury in the Celia case?

Celia's jury consisted entirely of white male farmers, four of whom were slave owners, convicted Celia on October 10, 1855.

Where did Celia come from?

Not much is known of Celia's origins or early childhood. Robert Newsom, a yeoman farmer, acquired approximately 14 year old Celia in Audrain County in 1850 to act as his concubine after his wife had died the previous year.

Who was Celia's lawyer?

On Missouri's western border, the possibility of civil war seemed real. The political implications of Celia's trial could not have escaped Circuit Court Judge William Hall. Certainly, he knew, pro-slavery Missourians expected Celia to hang. Hall's choice as Celia's defense attorney, John Jameson, was a safe one.

Who was John Jameson in Celia, a slave?

Hall's choice as Celia's defense attorney, John Jameson, was a safe one. Jameson's reputation as a competent, genial member of the bar and his lack of involvement in the heated slavery debates (despite being a slave owner himself) ensured that his selection would not be seriously contested.

Is Celia, a slave based on a true story?

Celia, a Slave was an 1855 murder trial held in the Circuit Court of Callaway County, Missouri, in which a slave woman named Celia was tried for the first-degree murder of her owner, Robert Newsom. Celia was convicted by a jury of twelve white men and sentenced to death.

How old was the slave Celia when she killed her master?

nineteen-year-oldFor nineteen-year-old Celia, a slave on a Missouri farm, five years of being repeatedly raped by her middle-aged owner was enough. On the night of June 23, 1855, she would later tell a reporter, "the Devil got into me" and Celia fatally clubbed her master as he approached her in her cabin.

Who are the main historical figures in Celia a slave?

Celia, a Slave CharactersCelia. Celia is a teenaged slave living in Missouri, and is the protagonist and title character of the book. ... Robert Newsom. Robert Newsom is a prosperous farmer living in Callaway County, Missouri, in the 1850s. ... John Jameson. ... George. ... Dred Scott.

What is the message of Celia a slave?

The book's main focus is on the moral ambiguity of chattel slavery and how the sexual element of Celia's case forces the people around her to confront the morality of slavery with regard to rape.

Why was Celia executed?

Her defense team led by John Jameson argued an affirmative defense: Celia killed Robert Newsom by accident in self defense to stop Newsom from raping her, which was a controversial argument at the time. Celia was ultimately executed by hanging following a denied appeal in December 1855.

What happened to Nat Turner?

Nat Turner, the leader of a bloody revolt of enslaved people in Southampton County, Virginia, is hanged in Jerusalem, the county seat, on November 11, 1831. Turner, an enslaved man and educated minister, believed that he was chosen by God to lead his people out of slavery.

How many kids did Robert Newsom have?

Newsom's two sons, Harry and David, lived nearby with their families. In the main house, Mary Newsom, Virginia Wainscott, and the Wainscott children resided with Mr. Newsom. Mary was Robert's unmarried daughter, and Virginia was his widowed daughter.

Who killed Celia?

With only two episodes left in the season, Nancy Drew gave fans a shock to think about. In the May 19 episode of the CW series, Nancy (Kennedy McMann) discovers her grandmother, Celia Hudson (Teryl Rothery) murdered. Immediately, Nancy eyes Everett Hudson (Andrew Airlie) as the killer.

What happened to Celia the slave?

On Dec. 21, 1855, Celia was taken to the Calloway Courthouse in Fulton, Mo., and “hanged until she died.” Read more Retropolis: A surgeon experimented on slave women without anesthesia.

How does Celia A Slave end?

Celia is hanged at the end of December. Her life is a testament to the tragedies of slavery, particularly for female slaves, who often had to endure sexual assault from their male owners.

Who prosecuted Celia in 1855?

A young, relatively inexperienced attorney who prosecutes Celia in 1855. While Prewitt is of obvious importance to the story of Celia’s trial, McLaurin offers very little information about his life, character, or legal actions.

Where is Celia from?

Celia is a teenaged slave living in Missouri, and is the protagonist and title character of the book. Yet very little is known about her: no historical records survive explaining where she was born or… read analysis of Celia

Which slave led a successful slave revolt against the French colonial state, leading to Haiti becoming a democracy at?

Haitian slave who led a successful slave revolt against the French colonial state, leading to Haiti becoming a democracy at the end of the 18th century.

Who was the slave that was captured and tried in Missouri?

Missouri slave whose escape, capture, and trial became infamous in American history. Scott’s attorneys argued, first before the Missouri courts and later before the Supreme Court of the United States, that Scott had become a… read analysis of Dred Scott

Who is John Jameson?

John Jameson is a successful lawyer and well-liked resident of Callaway County, Missouri, and in 1855 he’s appointed to defend Celia from the charge of homicide. As with many of the other main characters in… read analysis of John Jameson

Who has to approve and deliver the instructions in Celia's case?

The judge has to approve and deliver the instructions, and in Celia’s case, Judge Hall rejects the majority of the jury instructions written in her defense, thus ensuring a guilty verdict. In response, her lawyers file a motion for a retrial, citing the judge ’s mishandling of the case. Instead, Judge Hall hands down the sentence of death.

What is the name of the chapter in which Celia confesses to killing Newsom?

Chapter Three, “Inquisition,” describes the search for Newsom and the discovery of his remains after Celia confesses to killing him. This chapter also includes the press response to Newsom’s death and Celia’s indictment and provides information about previous slave revolts still on the minds of Missourians. Though many are convinced that Celia did not act alone, she refuses to implicate anyone else in Newsom’s murder.

What chapter does Celia kill Newsom?

Trying to avoid being found out, she burns his body in her fireplace. Chapter Three, “Inquisition,” describes the search for Newsom and the discovery of his remains after Celia confesses to killing him.

What does McLaurin compare Celia's case to?

In this chapter, McLaurin compares Celia’s case to that of Dred Scott, and concludes that her “defense was a much more radical concept” (94), since it “posed an immediate threat, one of enormous magnitude to slaveholders” (95), which can help to account for Judge Hall’s refusal to allow the defense to make its case.

What is the first chapter of Celia's story?

Chapter One, “Beginnings,” provides an introduction to the two white men most important to Celia’s story—her master, Robert Newsom, and her lawyer, John Jameson. The chapter details the early history of the state of Missouri—Callaway County in particular—as well as the prosperity and status that came with owning slaves.

When did Newsom buy Celia?

It includes an account of Newsom’s purchase of Celia in 1850 and the overall political climate of the time. The second half of the chapter provides a detailed account the first half of 1855, when Celia, who had already had two children by Newsom, became pregnant with a third, tries to break off relations with Newsom.

Who was Celia's slave?

By 1854, Celia had tired of Newsom's attentions and begun a forbidden relationship with a Newsom slave named George . Sometime in early 1855 George started staying in Celia's cabin when Newsom was not there. Within months, Celia was pregnant and uncertain of the child's father. George, believing the child to be his, pressured Celia to end her physical relationship with their owner. Newsom, believing the child to be his, and unaware of Celia's intimate friendship with George, saw no reason to change the established pattern of their relationship.

Who was the lawyer who defended Celia?

With supporters on both sides of the slavery issue watching the proceedings, Judge Hall was under pressure to see that Celia received credible representation at her trial. On August 16 he appointed John Jameson and his associates to defend her. Jameson was a popular citizen in Fulton Township. He was a slave owner but he was not personally involved in the ongoing slavery debates. He had practiced law in the community for three decades and had represented Missouri for three terms in the U.S. Congress. With political savvy and a reputation as an excellent trial lawyer, Jameson was acceptable to those on both sides of the conflict.

What did Jameson request to the jury?

Jameson requested several instructions that would have allowed Celia to be acquitted if the jury found from the evidence that she had killed Newsom in an effort to prevent his sexual advances. The prosecution objected to Jameson's instructions and Hall ultimately refused to deliver them to the jury. Denied any grounds for acquitting her, the jury found Celia guilty of murder.

What did Newsom do when he bought Celia?

When Newsom went to purchase Celia, outward appearances suggested that he was looking for a domestic servant to assist his daughters with cooking and household work. Subsequent trial testimony and transcripts indicate otherwise. At any rate, in the spring of 1850 Newsom traveled by wagon to Audrain County, a day's ride to the north of his home, to buy his new slave. On the return trip, Newsom raped the young girl and established the true nature of her future role in the Newsom household.

What were the circumstances of Celia's trial?

The circumstances of Celia's short life—and the events that led to her hanging—illustrate the realities of slave life in the South and the personal choices the institution of slavery forced upon slaves and slaveholders. The course and outcome of Celia's trial were influenced by individuals and a court system that were trying to reconcile the personal consequences of slavery with existing moral codes, politics, and economics—at a time when nationwide struggles over the same issues were increasingly heated and often violent.

Where was Celia born?

Celia, a slave, was probably born in Missouri in 1836. No documentation of her birth date, birthplace, or parentage exists. Her recorded history begins in the summer of 1850 when she was purchased by Robert Newsom, of Fulton Township, Calloway County, Missouri; at the time of the transaction she was about fourteen years old. Celia's recorded history ends five and a half years later when she was tried and hanged for the murder of her owner; she was nineteen years old and the mother of at least two children at the time of her death. Her final resting place and the fate of her children are unknown.

Did Newsom own slaves?

The residents of agriculture-based, slave-holding Calloway County—including Newsom—probably favored the pro-slavery rhetoric and politics described in the papers of the day. The 1850 census for Calloway County, which shows that Newsom owned five male slaves, supports this assumption, as does Newsom's decision to purchase Celia even while the controversy over slavery was escalating to its ultimate conclusion—civil war.

Who taught Celia the slave?

Sarah: Right off the top, we want to acknowledge that all of what we’re going to say here about Celia and her life as a slave comes from the work of historian Melton McLaurin, who taught history at the University of North Carolina: Wilmington for decades.

Why did the Supreme Court uphold Celia's sentence?

Sarah: Why did the Supreme Court uphold her sentence? Well, the easiest answer is: she was a slave, and she had killed her master. They didn’t need more reason than that, and to think that Celia would have gotten a fair shake was pretty fanciful. But we also need to understand the intense upheaval taking place in the region in the mid 1850s. The Kansas Nebraska act, which left Kansas’s status as slave or free up to the voters, had created the conflict that became known as Bleeding Kansas. Everyday, newspapers were filled with rumors that anti-slavery forces might be moving into Missouri from Kansas, seeking to incite slave uprisings and free slaves. In fact, in early December 1855, as Celia was likely brought back to jail from her escape and was awaiting the appeals decision, the Wakarusa War, a small skirmish in the long Bleeding Kansas war, took place near Lawrence, Kansas. A small army of pro-slavery Missourians invaded Kansas after a pro-slavery settler killed an anti-slavery man and was then arrested for the crime. Fears about slave insurrection were at an all time high: if the court was to allow Celia to go free after murdering her master would set a very dangerous precedent.

How many slaves were there on the Newsom farm?

Elizabeth: Also living on the Newsom farm were nine enslaved people: five adult men, a small boy, plus Celia and her two small children. Missouri, of course, had successfully entered the Union as a slave state, and the enslaved population had slowly grown over the thirty years that Newsom had lived there.

What did Robert Newsom want from Celia?

In other words, Robert Newsom needed sexual release. He saw in Celia an opportunity: a sexual release that would be entirely controllable, subservient, and who, if she bore children, would add to his overall wealth and status by producing more slaves. Celia was purchased with the intent that she be a sex slave.

What did white women believe about slavery?

White women often believed that enslaved women tempted and entrapped white men, luring them into sexual relationships, especially white women who felt trapped in loveless marriages while watching their husbands sneaking out to the slave cabins and little mixed-race children who resembled their husbands. At the same time, there was little white women could do. Southern masculinity centered on what historian Stephanie McCurry has called mastery: they were the masters of their worlds, not just their slaves. Landed men commanded deference, and white women, children, social inferiors and slaves all were expected to defer to the master. Even if a white woman wanted to stop a sexual assault or relationship, she had very little power to do so – and further, it would risk losing her own protected status within the household.

What did the Southern gender and class hierarchy undermine?

Remember that the Southern gender and class hierarchy relied on the idea that white landed men were the masters of their worlds, not only caring for those within their “household” (expanded to include all those who fell under their social and economic power) but also protecting them. If enslaved women needed the power of the law to protect them from sexual assault, it suggested that their masters failed in one of their fundamental tasks as men. And if enslaved women needed that added protection, then perhaps white women also needed that protection. And if white men could not protect their women, then they were no men at all.

When was the law of child born to a slave written?

It was written in from the beginning. In the 1662 , as slavery started to become coded into the law, the Virginia House of Burgesses passed a law that stated that children born to female slaves followed the status of their mother – meaning that any time an enslaved woman bore a child, that child was born a slave.

Who was Celia's attorney?

Certainly, he knew, proslavery Missourians expected Celia to hang. Hall's choice as Celia's defense attorney, John Jameson, was a safe one. Jameson's reputation as a competent, genial member of the bar and his lack of involvement in the heated slavery debates (despite being a slave owner himself) ensured that his selection would not be seriously contested. Jameson could provide the defendant with satisfactory--but not too satisfactory--representation. In addition, Hall appointed two young lawyers, Isaac Boulware and Nathan Kouns, to assist Jameson in his defense.

Who testified in the case of Celia?

Dr. James Martin, a Fulton physician, testified first for the defense. (Celia, as a slave, was not called as a witness. Under the existing law in Missouri and most other states, a criminal defendant could not--under "the interested party rule"--testify.) Jameson posed for Martin questions designed to suggest that Celia was incapable of committing the alleged crime without the aid of another person. The defense attorney asked whether a human body could be so completely destroyed in a simple fireplace in a span of only six or so hours, but the question met with a prosecution objection, which Judge Hall sustained. Jameson tried rephrasing the question a couple of different ways (e.g., "What, in your opinion as a scientific physician, would be the time required to destroy an adult human body?"), but fared no better with the objections and was forced to abandon that line of questioning.

How did Celia burn Newsom's body?

After making sure "he was dead," Celia spent an hour or so pondering her next step. Finally she decided to burn Newsom's body in her fireplace. She went outside to gather staves and used them to build a raging fire. Then she dragged the corpse over to the fireplace and pushed it into the flames. She kept the fire going through the night. In the early morning, she gathered up bone fragments from the ashes and smashed them against the hearth stones, then threw the particles back into the fireplace. A few larger pieces of bone she put "under the hearth, and under the floor between a sleeper and the fireplace." Shortly before daybreak, Celia carried some of the ashes out into the yard and then went to bed.

What did the Missourians do to help the slaves?

Senator David Atchinson and University of Missouri President James Shannon, encouraged their slave-state residents to counter the efforts of abolitionists who were moving to Kansas in the hope of keeping it slave-free. Proslavery mobs of Missourians attacked both Free-Soil voters in Kansans and threatened fellow Missourians who dared to criticize their bullying tactics. By the summer of 1855, Missouri was awash with proslavery rhetoric and increasingly active vigilante groups organized to ensure Kansas would enter the Union as a slave state. On October 6, three days before the start of Celia's trial, John Brown arrived in a Kansas that contained two state legislatures, one supporting Kansas's admission as a free state and one enacting slave laws. On Missouri's western border, the possibility of civil war seemed real.

How old was Celia when she was raped?

For nineteen-year-old Celia, a slave on a Missouri farm, five years of being repeatedly raped by her middle-aged owner was enough. On the night of June 23, 1855, she would later tell a reporter, "the Devil got into me" and Celia fatally clubbed her master as he approached her in her cabin. The murder trial of the slave Celia, coming at a time when the controversy over the issue of slavery reached new heights, raised fundamental questions about the rights of slaves to fight back against the worst of slavery's abuses.

What did the Supreme Court rule against Celia?

The Supreme Court ruled against Celia in her appeal. In their December 14 order, the state justices said they "thought it proper to refuse the prayer of the petitioner," having found "no probable cause for her appeal." The stay of execution, the justices wrote, is "refused."

How old were Celia's jurors?

Celia's jurors, of course, were all male. They ranged in age from thirty-four to seventy-five and, with one exception, were married with children. All were farmers. Several were slave owners.

Who played Celia in the movie?

James Coffee’ s gruesome testimony is instrumental in portraying Celia as a wicked, vengeful woman.

Why does Jameson sympathize with Celia?

In some ways, Jameson is likely to sympathize with Celia because of his family and his religion.

What evidence does Jameson present in the trial?

He presents compelling evidence that Celia acted on the legal right to repel her master’s sexual advances, and that Robert Newsom regularly raped her. The energy and inventiveness with which James has presented his case suggests that he not only believes all slaves are entitled to a fair trial; he believes that Celia is innocent.

Who are the minor characters in the book Jameson?

Kouns and Boulware are fairly minor characters in this book: they’re instrumental in helping Jameson with his case, but McLaurin has little to say about their personalities.

Is there a slave owner in Missouri?

While there are many slave owners in Missouri, there’s also a sizeable chunk of the population that sympathizes with Cel ia. Many of the issues that Martin raises in this section McLaurin himself is never able to address—he can’t really explain how a sick, pregnant woman got rid of an adult body. In raising legitimate questions about the logistics of the killing, Jameson is able to establish doubt that Celia really committed the crime of which she’s accused.

Is Jameson a moderate?

Jameson is, in many ways, typical of the population of the United States at the time. He’s moderate on a lot of political issues: he doesn’t believe slavery is inherently wrong, but he also finds himself inclined to sympathize with slaves. In this way, Hall ensures that Celia’s defender is a neutral, unbiased figure (or at least as unbiased as it’s possible for a Missouri slave owner to be in 1855).

Did Jameson win the jury?

Jameson scores a mixed victory here: he makes sure the jurors know that Celia may have been acting defensively, but because the testimony is stricken from the record, it’s highly unlikely that the judge will bring it up during jury instructions (meaning that the issue of self-defense probably won’t have much of an impact on the jury’s decision).

Who were the attorneys for Celia?

Celia's trial began on October 9, 1855. Her court-appointed attorneys, Isaac M. Boulware, John Jameson, and Nathan Chapman Kouns, seem to have given the most vigorous defense possible. On her behalf, they pleaded not guilty and described Celia as one who was "ready for trial, and prayed herself upon her God and her Country."

Who bought Celia from the slaves?

In 1850, the recently widowed Robert Newsom purchased the 14-year-old Celia, ostensibly to help his daughters with the housework. En route from Audrain County, the site of the transaction, to his own home in neighboring Calloway County, Missouri, Newsom raped the young girl. Back at his farm, Newsom ensconced her in a small cabin 150 feet from his home. Between 1850 and 1855, Celia bore two of Newsom's children, both of whom became her master's property. She also began a relationship with a fellow slave named George. When she became pregnant in 1855, she was unsure which of the men was the father. At that point, George told Celia that "he would have nothing more to do with her if she did not quit the old man."

What court did Jameson appeal to?

Jameson appealed to the Missouri Supreme Court. He asked for, and expected, a stay of execution until such time as that court ruled.

What is the significance of the case of Celia?

SIGNIFICANCE: This case graphically illustrates that enslaved women had no legal recourse when raped by their masters. Although the second article of Section 29 of the Missouri statutes of 1845 forbade anyone "to take any woman unlawfully against her will and by force, menace or duress, compel her to be defiled," Judge William Hall refused to instruct the jury that the enslaved Celia fell within the meaning of "any woman" — giving the jury no latitude to consider Celia's murder of her sexually abusive master a justifiable act of self-defense.

When was Missouri v. Celia a slave case?

State of Missouri v. Celia, a Slave: 1855

When was Celia hung?

She said, "As soon as I struck him the Devil got into me, and I struck him with the stick until he was dead, and then rolled him in the fire and burnt him up." She was hanged on December 21, 1855.

Who was Robert Newsom's daughter?

Robert Newsom's daughter, Virginia Waynescot, was called by the prosecutor, and she described the discovery of some of her father's remains. Jameson then cross-examined her and tried tactfully and not very successfully to examine the relationship between her father and the enslaved Celia. Asked where her father customarily slept, Virginia replied: " [I] did not notice the [Newsom's] bed. Sister made the bed up." Virginia did, however, disclose that Celia "took sick in February. Had been sick ever since." Virginia's son, Coffee Waynescot, then testified about his disposal of his grandfather's ashes. On cross-examination, Jameson tried — again, with tact and with little success — to elicit information about the sexual relationship between Newsom and Celia.

What was the case of Celia, a slave?

Celia, a Slave - Wikipedia. State of Missouri v. Celia, a Slave. State of Missouri v. Celia, a Slave was an 1855 murder trial held in the Circuit Court of Callaway County, Missouri, in which a slave woman named Celia was tried for the first-degree murder of her owner, Robert Newsom. Celia was convicted by a jury of twelve white men ...

What degree was Celia guilty of murder?

On October 10, 1855, the jury found Celia guilty of murder in the first degree.

What did Celia demonstrate?

Celia demonstrated, the enslaved could neither give nor refuse consent, nor offer reasonable resistance, yet they were criminally responsible and liable. The slave was recognized as a reasoning subject, who possessed intent and rationality, solely in the context of criminal liability.".

What was the significance of the case of Celia?

Celia's trial took place at a time when slavery was an extremely contentious issue in America, and the verdict had important implications for the legal status of enslaved persons, particularly black women . The laws of the time recognized that Celia was Robert Newsom's property, and that he was within his rights to do whatever he wanted with her, including rape. Legally, Celia was only seen as a human subject when she was being punished. As Saidiya Hartman states, "As Missouri v. Celia demonstrated, the enslaved could neither give nor refuse consent, nor offer reasonable resistance, yet they were criminally responsible and liable. The slave was recognized as a reasoning subject, who possessed intent and rationality, solely in the context of criminal liability."

When was Celia formally indicted?

Court proceedings. Celia was formally indicted by a grand jury on August 16, 1855, and on the same day, Judge William Augustus Hall appointed her defense team, led by John Jameson. On October 9, 1855 , Celia was brought before the Callaway County Circuit Court to be tried by a jury of twelve white men. She entered a plea of "not guilty," and the ...

What evidence did the Newsom family gather?

After obtaining Celia's confession, the family gathered evidence of Robert Newsom's remains and collected them in a box.

When did Robert Newsom's daughters start to worry?

Investigation. On the morning of June 24, 1855 , Robert Newsom's daughters began to worry when he did not show up for breakfast. They began to search for him around the property and enlisted the help of some neighbors when their search was unsuccessful.

Overview

State of Missouri vs. Celia, a Slave

In early 1855, Celia, approximately nineteen, conceived for the third time, and the father of the child was uncertain. At this time, George demanded Celia cut off her relationship with Robert Newsom. Celia repeatedly requested, demanded, and threatened Newsom to stop sexually coercing her. On June 23, 1855, when Newsom came to her cabin that night, Celia struck Newsom twice with a large stick, killing him with the second blow. She burned his body in her fireplace wh…

Background

Celia through history and popular culture

See also

Further reading

External links