Title: Court cases and other documents from the Mississippi Department of Archives and History
Description: The Mississippi Department of Archives and History provides several collections detailing the institution of slavery. "Case Files, 1832-1870," and "County Court Cases, 1806-1930," contain documents from court cases in matters of slavery and emancipation. "Petitions, 1817-1908" offers petitions brought to the state legislature, including freedpeople seeking compensation for slavery, several petitions on emancipation, and some from freed slaves wanting to return to slavery to be with their families. "Slave Legislation Records, 1819-1839; 1852," contains legislation related to issues of slavery. Because slavery was a fluid institution, using legal documents, such as these from the Mississippi Department of Archives and History, allows investigation into the institution of slavery and its legal parameters.
Subjects: Slaves, Emancipation, Petitions, Slavery, Freedmen
Places: United States