Slavery Protected By The Constitution

The United States Supreme Court in the case Jones vs. Van Zandt decided on March 5th 1847, that Congress had the right to make laws controlling slavery.


John Van Zandt an abolitionist illegally hid escaping slave in his Evendale Ohio basement, then helped them to the north. In 1842 Van Zandt was sued by Wharton Jones for monetary damages do the loss of property. Jones said he was owed $450 for the cost of a slave catcher, and $500 for slave named Andrew whom Van Zandt helped escape. Abolitionist pressed the case known as Jones vs. Van Zandt hoping to challenge the constitutionality of slavery. Van Zandt’s attorney was Samuel Chase, Abraham Lincoln’s future Secretary of Treasury. On March 5th 1847 in the US Supreme Court’s decision, written by Chief Justice Roger B Taney, the court decided that slavery was protected by the United States Constitution. This ruling upheld the 1793 Fugitive Slave Law, saying that each state could determine if slavery was legal within its borders. Do to the cost of challenging his legal case, Van Zandt was ruined financially, and even had to send his children to live with relatives. He died shortly after the case was settled.

Supreme Court and Slaves

Before the United State Supreme Court on February 1, 1847 is brought the case Jones v Van Zandt.

John Van Zandt was a farmer and abolitionist from Hamilton County, Ohio. On April 24th 1842,he concealed nine runway slaves from Boone County, Kentucky in his wagon. The of the slaves were owned by Wharton Jones. When slave catchers show up in Ohio, they took seven of the slaves and John Van Zandt back to Kentucky, where they were placed in jail, in Covington, Kentucky. Van Zandt was released, but charged with the Fugitive Slave Act of 1793. He was represented by Ohio attorney Salmon P Chase, but loosing in both the lower and appellate courts, they appeal the case to the Supreme Court. Before reaching the Supreme Court, New York Lawyer William Seward joined the case. The court under Chief Justice Roger B Taney found against Van Zandt, up holding as constitutional the Fugitive Slave Law.