Supreme Court Cases: The Ableman V. Booth Case

Introduction
The Ableman v. Booth case was one of the most important Supreme Court cases in the 19th century. The landmark case dealt with the powers of the state courts in comparison to the Supreme Court as well as the Fugitive Slave Act of 1850. The Fugitive Slave Act was passed as a part of the Compromise of 1850 which also included other compromises and acts in order to appease both the North and South following the annexation of the state of California. (“Transcript of Compromise of 1850”). The Fugitive Slave Act required the federal government to actively assist slave owners in the capture of runaway slaves even in free states. A federal commissioner would receive five dollars if they ruled against the slave owner once the slave was caught. However, the commissioner would receive ten dollars instead if they ruled in favor of the slave owner (“Fugitive Slave Law of 1850”). The system and law clearly favored the slave owners and oppressed African Americans. The Fugitive Slave Act was highly controversial among Northern abolitionists, however, it was upheld by …show more content…
It quickly became a debate over the legality of the Fugitive Slave Act rather than if Booth had violated the act. Booth was later released from jail through a writ of habeas corpus granted by the Supreme Court of Wisconsin. In the case, the Wisconsin Supreme Court ruled against the Fugitive Slave Act and was the only court to do so at the time. It reflected the general views of the Wisconsin people who had a powerful influence on the decision (Schmitt). However, U.S. District Marshal Ableman later received a writ of error from the Supreme Court in order to have the Wisconsin Supreme Court decision reviewed on the federal level. The case was not taken up by the Supreme Court until 1859 ("Ableman v.

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Supreme Court Cases: The Ableman V. Booth Case

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