McLaurin Quiz 2
What were the rather bizarre twists to this story after Celia was sentenced to death?
- Celia and another black named Matt, also under sentence of death, escaped from the Callaway County jail
What were a slave's rights in Missouri when confronted with a life-threatening situation?
- Jameson attempted to use Shoatman's testimony to establish that Celia feared for her life at the time she killed Newsom - Throughout the slave holding states the law gave a slave the right to use force to repel physical attacks that threatened his/her life
How vigorous a defense did Celia's court appointed attorneys mount on her behalf?
- Jameson focused on the sexual nature of the relationship between Celia and Newsom, forcing Jones to admit that Celia had told him that Newsom had raped her - Jameson wanted to supply his client (Celia) a motive and also sought to obtain some sympathy for Celia - Celia did not intend to kill, but only hurt, Newsom
How did the judge run the trial and what important decisions did he make that affected how the trial proceeded?
- Judge Hall: had to consider how slavery's foes might possibly employ Celia's trial in their behalf and had to determine to what extent it presented him with a potential political dilemma - Celia's defense attorney: John Jameson; credible defense - Judge Hall appointed two attorneys to aid Jameson - Hall wanted trial to be fair - Jameson had daughters (sympathy for Celia) - Jameson had become interested in the ministry/studied for and received ordination in the Christian Church (moral implications of case) - Jameson well known in community - Pewitt not well known/inexperienced
Why were instructions to the jury at the end of the trial so important? What did Celia's lawyers raise as her defense? What did the judge finally decide?
- Missouri law enabled both the prosecution and defense of request that the judge deliver specific instructions to the jury - Either side could object to the proposed jury instructions of the other - Since the instructions delivered had the potential to direct the jury's verdict, it was essential that the defense propose instructions that would provide the jury with rationale for finding Celia innocent - Equally essential that the defense develop instructions that Judge Hall would find acceptable and present to the jury - Never denied that Celia had been responsible for Newsom's death, focused instead on Celia's motives - Celia was entitled by law to use deadly force to protect her honor - William Hall's instructions negated Jameson's courtroom presentation skills, and the jury returned a guilty verdict. Judge Hall then remanded Celia to jail to await sentencing - Celia sentenced to death
What were Missouri's laws regarding the rape of white women and of slave women? What would protecting slave women from rape by their masters have done to the institution of slavery, according to McLaurin? Does McLaurin argue that the rape of Celia by her master was an isolated, rare occurence or something that happened frequently under slavery?
- Sexual assault on a slave by white males was considered trespass, not rape - Law did not recognize the rape of a black women - Rape by master happened frequently - To have recognized by law the basic humanity of slaves would have created even greater tensions within the society and posed additional moral dilemmas
In the debate over whether to emphasize the historical agency of slave women and their ability to "maintain the integrity of their own sexuality," or to emphasize the essential powerlessness of slaves to "protect their most basic humanity from the predations of the master," (pp.137-8) which side does McLaurin come down on and why?
- Slaves were powerless to protect their basic human rights
