Somerset v Stewart (+1) (jan 1, 1772 – jan 1, 1772)

Description:

The Somerset Case, also known as the Somersett Case (1772), is a milestone case in British legal history due to its significance in the fight against slavery. This case established that English law did not explicitly support slavery. Chief Justice Lord Mansfield’s ruling emphasized that Somerset, an enslaved African man brought to England, could not be forced back into enslavement in the colonies, setting a precedent that influenced the broader abolitionist movement in Britain by reinforcing the idea that freedom was the natural state within English law. perhaps more importantly, it was one of many events in ending slavery worldwide.

Sources:
https://www.english heritage.org.uk/visit/places/kenwood/history-stories-kenwood/somerset-case/ https://archives.lincolnsinn.org.uk/the-archives/law-reports-and-case-papers/somerset-case
https://www.britannica.com/topic/Somersett-case

Added to timeline:

Date:

Images: