1856--Campbell Co., Anderson Versus Poindexter
Item
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Title
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1856--Campbell Co., Anderson Versus Poindexter
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Date
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24 Jul 1856
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Formatted date
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1856-07-24
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Event type
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Self-purchase
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Lawsuit
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Description
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Henry Poindexter was held enslaved by John Anderson of Campbell County, Ky., who granted Poindexter permission to hire himself out for work in Ohio. In 1848, Anderson agreed to allow Poindexter to purchase his freedom for $1000, and accepted promissory notes for the amount.
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After moving to Ohio, Poindexter refused to pay the notes, claiming that as an Ohio resident he was already free. Anderson sued in the Court of Common Pleas in Clermont County, Ohio. The claim was settled by the Ohio Supreme Court, who ruled that as Poindexter was enslaved at the time the promissory notes were signed, he could not be held legally responsible for them (as enslaved persons could not enter into contracts). And as he was now free under Ohio law, he could not be returned to enslavement in Kentucky.
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Participant
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African American(s): Poindexter, Henry
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Poindexter, Henry
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Slaveholder(s): Anderson, John
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Defense attorneys: Howard, John; Jolliffe, John
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Jolliffe, John