Dear Editor
I learned from the local NAACP president about a 1772 court decision that may have influenced the Declaration of Independence more than taxes or self-determination.
Somerset v Stewart, was a case of a slave who escaped to England and his “owner” sued to get him back. The English court determined he was free; English Common Law prohibited slavery.
The decision was very worrisome to American slave owners and traders, motivating their support for…
