Specifically, I would refer to the Dred Scott
vs. SandfordSupreme Court decision of 1857, where Chief Justice Roger B.
Taney, writing for the majority opinion in the case, stated clearly "A black man has no
rights a white man is bound to respect". The Court further defined slaves as "chattel",
or mere property, which, much like furniture or livestock, could be taken at will by
their owners into any territory in the United States, whether slavery was legal there or
not.
In addition, there were specific "slave codes" that
had been developed and revised since the 1630s. By the early 19th century, it was very
difficult to free a slave even in your will, and slaves were not legally allowed to
preach to congregations, or to be educated at all, even if their master wanted
to.
Simply put, legally, slaves were not yet looked at as
human beings in the eyes of US law, something that would not change until after the
Civil War.
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