State V. Mann

To throw back to an era that was what some people call one hell of a time in American history, mainly due to the separation that was taking place between white and black people. Granted whites were genuinely horrid back then especially thinking and defending the enslavement of black Americans, however when African Americans were recognized as ⅗’s a person the first amendment applied to all.

In North Carolina in 1829 the US Supreme court was tested by its true and ethical meanings for being an establishment. In the case of The State of North Carolina Vs John Mann the NC supreme court put John Mann on trial for the execution of a slave he was lent by a nearby friend.

Back in the 1820’s truly I dont think that many people thought much of buying slaves or at least not in the south and that still to this day blows my mind; however, John did not purchase the slave Lydia from Elizabeth Jones. He had hired Lydia to work on his farm, it was almost an indentured servant kind of situation not quite “slavery” in a sense. One day when Lydia was on the farm she was beaten by John Mann and after she tried to run… she was shot on the spot by Mann and yet he still had not been relapsed by execution charges. John Mann was truly the definition of what was wrong with the country. He was willing to kill someone just for the color of their skin, we all know he wouldn't have done that if she were a white girl because he would've gotten in trouble, he didn't think he would over a colored person. No it's not a fact but in reality I don't think many people can argue against that fact.

In the final verdict Mann actually won; he was protected under the right that Lydia was his property at the time and not a free person. The Supreme court used judicial restraint and honestly didn't do anything about the case they lost to John Mann who executed someone for trying to find something better, a new life.