The Circuit Court of Sangamon County (Illinois) decides Matson v. Ashmore: Chief Justice William Wilson, on circuit duty, declares that slaves brought from the Commonwealth of Kentucky into the State are free after 90 days.
NOTE: This was the only fugitive slave case that Abraham Lincoln was involved with—and he was an advocate for the slave owner.
[added 1/4/2025] Thanks to Jim Lorenz for this entry.
Subsequent Events:
Authority:
Illinois Constitution of 1848, Article XIII, Section 16
en.wikisource.org/wiki/Illinois_Constitution_of_1848
References:
Thomas J. DiLorenzo, The Real Lincoln: A New Look at Abraham Lincoln, His Agenda and an Unnecessary War, (Roseville, California: Forum, 2002), 15-16.
Carl Sandburg, Lincoln: The Prairie Years, (New York: Harcourt, Brace and Company, 1954; New York: Dell, 1959), 1:158-60.
Matson Trial – Wikipedia
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Matson_Trial
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