The Closing Chapters of Celia, A Slave

Chapter 5 The Trial

Judge William Hall is chosen to preside over the trial and he chooses for Celia three up-and coming attorneys: Isaac Boulware, Nathan Kouns, and John Jameson. Boulwar and Kouns were young and relatively inexperienced, while Jameson had already had a political career and had returned to Calloway County to practice law. Hall chose three men with relatively neutral leanings on slavery, and what seems to be the best three choices to give Celia a fair defense. Jameson, the main voice of the defense, tried to get to the moral issue at the heart of the case that Celia, although a slave had a right to defend herself.

Chapter 6 The Verdict

Before the jury deliberates both the prosecution and defense get to request to the judge for specific instructions to be delivered to the jury to follow. The defense propose that a slave women like Celia has a right to protect herself from rape just like a white women. The norm in law at this time is that for a white man to rape a slave was only considered trespassing, so if that white man owned the slave their could not be trespassing charged because she was his property. Jameson and the defense wanted the jurors to view slave women as having the same rights of defense as white women. This instruction was not accepted by Judge Hall, so without this right of defense Celia's fate was almost guaranteed to be death. The jury decided that she would die by hanging.

Chapter 7 Final Disposition

Judge Hall had had refused on stay on Celia's execution so only an appeal to the Missouri Supreme Court could possibly save her. To help give more time for the appeal Celia was "freed" from jail and only brought back after her first execution date had passed. The Supreme Court would eventually turn done the appeal hand Celia was hanged for the murder of Robert Newsom.

Chapter 8 Conclusions

We finally come to the end of this sad and disturbing tale. The issue of slave law in the South is touched upon, but the simple fact is, as McLaurin says "the codes were designed primarily to restrain the behavior of slaves, not their owners." The owners had virtually free-reign of their slaves which were their property. Some southerners did try to reform slavery in ways to make it more accepted to abolitionists and northerners but the power of the slaveholders would only be broken by a Civil War.

In my opinion this book does add to the story of slavery in the antebellum times in the several decades before the Civil War. Good scholarship was used but McLaurin seems to use too much conjecture. The last paragraph on page 89 demonstrates this perfectly. The whole paragraph is based on conjecture which cannot be evidenced either way. McLaurin says "Hall may well have considered the possibility that Jameson, though himself a slaveholder, as the father of two adolescent daughters might develop a certain amount of sympathy for Celia." He then says in the next sentence a statement that contradicts this statement. "Jameson's relationship to his daughters may have had no influence upon his attitude toward Celia." It just seemed like too much conjecture for a history work for me. Overall, the book was interesting and gave insight into slave life in Missouri.

Celia, A Slave

Introduction
Chapter 1 Beginnings
Chapter 2 The Crime
Chapter 3 Inquisition
Chapter 4 Backdrop

In Chapter 1 we are introduced to Robert Newsom the eventual murder victim. The Newsom family was very similar to many other families that emigrated to Missouri, they came from simple means but were able to gain themselves a solid living. Newsom owned several slaves including Celia, a young slave girl who was only fourteen or so when he purchased her. Newsom had lost his wife and this need of a female presence would play into the ultimate story.

In Chapter 2, we get a insight into the debate over slavery throughout the national, including Missouri. It is in this climate that the sexual exploitation of the young slave girl Celia by her owner Robert Newsom that led to her taking action. She struck Newsom in her slave cabin with a large stick several times until he was dead then disposed of his body in her fireplace. Although the issue of her having help in this crime was never decided, it is likely she had some aid from another slave named George. One crime had led to another.

Chapter 3 deals predominantly with the inquisition around Newsom's murder. This act of violence by a slave caused disturbance among the white slave owners throughout the state. The memories of slave rebellions and violence stayed in people's minds and this act of violence further set them ill at-ease.

Chapter 4 much like Chapter 2, gives us insight into the political and social climate not only of Missouri but of the nation at this time. The issue of slavery was heating up and acts of violence and things like the Kansas-Nebraska Act led to a state of upheaval and chaos.

Below is a picture of Celia's slave cabin which stood behind Robert Newsom's house. Also their is a link to the Records of Callaway Circuit Court from the proceedings in the matter of Missouri vs. Celia, a Slave. And also a link to the PBS site that has some information about Celia's trial.
http://www.pbs.org/wnet/slavery/experience/legal/feature2.html

Well Google wouldn't let me into my old blog so here is my new one.