The Profound Influence in America of Lord Mansfield’s Decision in Somerset v. Stuart

Lord Mansfield's influence on slavery in America began on June 22, 1772, when he decided the case that freed James Somerset and declared slavery "so odious" that it could not be enforced in Britain by sending a slave out of the country against his will. It continues into the present through work such as the University of Michigan's successful defense of affirmative action before our Supreme Court. My focus today is on six episodes showing the influence of Mansfield's decision in Somerset v. Stuart in America.