APUSH Celia, A Slave

Reaction to verdict

Anti's: there needs to be laws to protect females slaves from being raped Pros: it's what she deserves

John Jameson

Main defense attorney of Celia -very respected of people in MO -just a good fellow- not significantly in any debates about slavery -great lawyer (critics can't say she wasn't represented well) -maybe had sympathy for Celia (had 2 daughters)

Slave tradition importance

Many Missourians came from the south part and expected to bring the south tradition with them which included slavery -Slavery is very important to the economy of MO's b/c there was lots of fertile soil and less industrialized areas

Author's Thesis/ purpose

Mclaurin is going to use this story of Celia to exemplify slavery in the mid 1850, focusing on social and economic aspects of the story rather than the big political problems -also these race and gender issues are still around

What does the author thinks that drives peoples to have opinions of Slavery?

Moral dilemmas- internal conflict in which you have to choose between two or more actions and have moral reasons for choosing each action. Moral Anxiety- involves a fear of violating our own moral principles both created political problems that caused the Civil War

Robert Newsom

-farmer in Callaway county -respected family man/farmer -Kids: Harry, David, (both moved to own their own farms) and Virginia (stayed on the farm) -wife died

John Jameson's defense tatics

-focus on the relationship of Celia and Robert >he was raping her -wanted to prove her morally innocent

Reasons to purchase Celia

-Aid daughters job in the house -since wife is dead, he wanted a mistress (Newsom's chances of getting a 2nd wife was low) Newsom raped Celia on the way back from buying her >>established the standards set of Celia and her master's relationship Same year of purchase -MO conflicts over slavery were crazy, Nation became very divided

Celia's small biography

-Arrived in 1850 in MO about the same age as Virginia -from Audrain County -mother of 2, would've been 3 but right before her execution one was stillborn

Build up to crime

-Celia was used as Newsom's Mistress >contributes to the crime because he raped her which built Celia's hatred for him -George (another Newsom Slave) become romantically involved with Celia -George wants Celia to stand up to Robert >Celia planned to hit Robert with a stick if he followed up with what he said about going to her cabin that night even when she said not to

Virginia Waynescott

-Daughter of Robert Newsom -husband died and stayed on the farm with her dad and her kids

Media coverage of the event

-Everybody wanted to help find Robert (he was a respectful man) -newspapers spread this crime around using it as propaganda

Anit-Slavery and Pros in MO

-In St. Louis there was mostly anti's -By the MO river there was mostly pros

Preliminary

-Isaac P. Howe and D.M. Whyte are the justices -David Newsom: said celia is a criminal b/c she killed Robert end of story >Jury was formed (typical people from around, Newsom's peers) Witnesses: -Powell -Coffee Waynescot -Celia herself: said she only wanted to harm him not kill Celia is charged and is sent to jailed until her trial in October (it is july) Jefferson Jones and Thomas Shoatman go to questioned her b/c Shieff Snell wanted to see if she had helped because the public thinks she did

Public reaction to the media's portrayal

-It frighted Missourians of slaves protesting against their owners

Case relationship with Bleeding Kansas

-KS/NB act gave attention to the morality of slavery -violence was created all around MO & KS -made slavery debate less peaceful -created southern fear that effect Celia's case

Missouri's State Admission

-MO compromise conflict -if MO comes in then it'll be an imbalanced of free/slave states--> MO compromise -rocked the whole nation with conflict about slavery went on from there Importance: Federal recognition that there will be expansion of slavery in the new purchased land

Slaves in Callaway County

-Most worked aside their masters -Slaves became 40% of the pop.

Media coverage

-News of the trial travelled around >Feared people- but people believed a sick pregnant slaved couldn't done it on her own> Accused George (Causes George to flea) -White people are concerned with Slave Violence (don't want to end up like what happened in Haiti, a big slave revolt) >Northerns fight backed and promotes this fear saying they will end up like Haiti if they don't end slavery -Media raised a lot of questions on why was Newsom was in Celia's cabin that night

Fundamental Moral Anxiety

-Newsom daughter had this b/c they knew what their father was doing to Celia was wrong

Narrative of Crime

-Newsom went to Celia's Cabin to rape her >She hit him with a large stick on the head 2 times killing him -was scared she'll be hung >She burned the body in the fireplace and crushed the bones up -In the morning she asked Coffee Waynescot to clean the fireplace for her (he cleaned up his grandpa's ashes)

Criminal Investigation

-Search Party looked for him the morning after Celia killed him -people accused George of killing Robert >George had moral dilemma b/c he told Celia to stop Robert which ended in her killing Robert -George told Powell Celia could've killed him >Powell went to go questioned Celia -Celia continued to denied she killed Robert >Finally told powell that Newsom was in her cabin the night before after threats were made about her kids >told Powell Robert came to rape her so she hit him and killed him- describe to him how she disposed of the body

Coffee Waynescott

-Son of Virginia - One of the witnesses that testified

Case relationship with MO's relationship to slavery and it's place in national politics

-There was slavery conflicts everywhere in the nation and big time in MO b/c KS/NB act -Case contributed to the conflicts and showed how female slaves were treated

Tallmadge Amendment

-a bill saying MO should be a free state in the Union >>Scared Missourians and made a lot of conflict in MO

Case relationship with Abolitionist movement

-abolitionist would want to help Celia and slaves rights to be protecting from their masters raping them -abolitionist movements made southerns believed the slave violence was their fault

Introduction to Callaway county

-by the MO river -there was a promised of a better life in MO >only for slaveholders, not much for non-slaveholders ~slaveholder produced 3x of crops than non (made more $) -not a big plantation area- mostly small family farms of hemp and tobacco (no cotton) with animals (cattle and sheep) -Slavery was marked socially acceptable and justified by God -economy is very stable

George

-one of Newsom's Slave -was Celia's boyfriend -Wanted Celia to stop having Newsom rape her After Crime was committed -people accused George in helping Celia or killed Robert himself with the motive of jealousy

The media & public reaction to the crime

-the media used this case as propaganda >Pro: Slaves are attacking their owners b/c of the conflict and this slaved killed an "innocent man" >Anti: Slaves are being treated very badly and need rights to protect them, like from being raped

Newsom's beginnings

-traveled from VA to MO because of promised better life -settled in Fulton by a creek -used to the southern lifestyle > pro slavery -had 5 slaves -all men wanted a 6th one (celia)

Abolitionist reaction to media coverage to trial

-uses it as propaganda to try to end slavery

Atchinson and Benton

Atchison : Pro- created a big following for pros Benton: anti- created a big following for anti's

Author's connection between this crime

Author wanted to show people more in depth slave rights and how they were treated with the story of Celia

Witnesses/Testimonies

Jefferson Jones- told them that Celia was having sex with Robert and just killed him because George wanted her to stop. Said Celia only meant to hurt him (Jameson focused on the relationship of celia and newsom) Virginia Waynescot- said celia was sick and pregnant Coffee Waynescot- said the story of Celia making him clean his grandpa's ashes (Jameson focused on the reason Newsom was in her cabin that night) William Powell- said the bones were founded where Celia said they were. Powell was asked about the raping and he confirmed it was true Doctors: Dr. James Martin- said the bones were from an adult human and believed slaves should have rights and the owners need to respect them Thomas Shoatman- talked about he questioned Celia and Jameson used this to say Celia feared for her life

Narrative of Trial

Judge: William Augustus Hall (a benton democrat and *pro slavery sentiments*) Defense Attorneys: John Jameson, Nathan Chapman Kouns, and Isaac M. Boulware Attorney for Newsom: R.G. Prewitt: had lots of disadvantages Jury: all had kids and wives -Witnesses and testimonies were made -Jameson focused on Celia and Newsom's Relationship >also if it was possible for her to do it b/c she was sick and pregnant

Pre-Civil War slavery events/conflicts

KS/NS ACT- MO's response: -terrified, felt like they were being threatened Nat Turner event happens- raises fears -this feared affected the trial and people's opinions KS/NB act gave attention to the morality of slavery -big slavery debate in MO that was not peaceful -Slavery violence over the conflict was everywhere in MO Kansas: chaotic everywhere because pros and anti's where fighting in it wanted it to be free/slave

Defense's argument to get Celia acquitted

She was using self defense

Verdict

She will be found guilty of killing Robert Newsom On Oct. 13th we was pronounce to be hung on Nov. 16, 1885 <had to postpone it b/c she is pregnant -it doesn't matter if it was self defense or not (there is no laws to protect her) (maybe some wanted a new trial to get a law that can protect her- judge declined?? )

Defense council's jury instructions importance

There was no rights that protected Celia getting raped from her slaveholder -They are their property and they can do whatever they want to do with them Challenged the southern concept of male honor which is very important in the south's social system

Lexington Convention

a pro slavery convention that proslavery men wanted rights that protected slave owners and their property from the KS/NB acts

William Powell

neighbor who helped conducted a search party to look for Robert -1st one to questioned Celia

Jefferson Jones

questioned Celia along with Thomas Shoatboat