State vs. Mann

State vs. Mann

State versus Mann was a case that took place in the year of 1829. This case was about a slave master named John Mann and his slave Lydia. During this time slaves were seen as property and not as human. Mann was whipping Lydia and she tried to escape As she tried to escape Mann shot her in the back. This was a situation that eventually led them having to go to court. 

This case took place in 1829 and is one of the most commonly known cases. According to State v. Mann- NC Pedia, "State v. John Mann, an 1829 North Carolina Supreme Court decision, is probably the most notorious judicial opinion on the relationship between enslaver and enslaved people ever rendered by a state court." During this time slaves could be rented and only had to work for a slave master for a certain amount of time and then they would be let go from that particular master.

In any argument there is always his side, her side, and the truth. In this case his side was saying that Lydia was his property and she was disobedient so he punished her as any other slave master would do. Her side was saying that he shouldn't have shot her in the back because that wasn't a form of punishment that should have been used. 

The team that was representing John Mann in this case argued that he was just punishing a slave that belonged to him. Since slaves were seen as property and not as human they argued that he was just tending to his property as he should. According to State v. Mann- NC HISTORY, "...full dominion of the owner over the slave...He appealed, claiming that assault on a slave by her master could not be indictable since a slave was property of her master...Nonetheless, Ruffin concluded that "the power of the master must be absolute, to render the submission of the slave perfect." Thomas Ruffin was one the people a part of the team that was representing John Mann in this case. They strongly believed that Lydia was Mann's property and that he was just tending to his property.

The team that was representing Lydia in this case argued that John Mann shooting her in the back was not a form of punishment. Her team understood that in the eyes of the law during that time she was seen as property and not as human. In this case she was John Mann's property but his form of punishment in this is what they were arguing against. Her team argued that shooting her in the back was unlawful and shouldn't have been done. According to State v. Mann- NC HISTORY, "The struggle, too, in the Judge's own breast between the feelings of the man, and the duty of the magistrate is a severe one...He argued that inhuman punishment of slaves was indeed legal in North Carolina." This piece of evidence shows you what Lydia's team was fighting against. Within this case John Mann was fined $10 but his team even argued that fining him was unlawful.

So the question may who is actually right in this case?

The final decision in this case ruled in favor of John Mann. According to State v. Mann- Lexinexis, "The Supreme Court of North Carolina reversed the conviction and found Mann, as the possessor of the slave, was entitled to the same authority as the owner." Slavery has been a battle that America has been fighting for a long time. This case was a perfect example of that. This case went down as one of the most known cases in history.