Originally published in 1856, this legal treatise provides an overview of the laws governing slavery in the United States in the years leading up to the Civil War. Stroud carefully examines court cases and legislative actions to demonstrate the complexity of this contentious issue. This book is a valuable resource for anyone interested in the history of slavery and its impact on American society. This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work is in the "public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.