Ideals of Bondie an Enslaved Woman vs. Daniel Metcalf Case Question 1: The court should follow the case of Bondie an Enslaved Woman vs. Daniel Metcalf because Bondi fought against her enslavement because she is from Indiana where slavery was illegal even though she was living in South Carolina. This is very similar to John’s case because slavery was prohibited in Illinois. Therefore, his labor in Illinois should grant him freedom.

Understanding the Legal and Historical Basis for American Courts Considering British Precedent Question 2: There are various historical and legal ties between the British common law and the American legal system. When American colonies were first established, they followed some legal traditions and principles of …show more content…
A lot of precedents set by British law uphold fairness within the legal system and make decisions through articulate analysis and reasoned judgment, which American courts should value in their own cases. One example of American courts following British law is in the case of Somerset v. Stewart. (Week 12 Day 2) Somerset was freed and slavery was ruled as not supported and that no one could be enslaved in England and this influenced American law and eventually ended slavery. American courts looked into the Somerset case and led to their questioning of slavery and freedom in the U.S. While none of the amendments are directly correlated to the British common law, the ninth amendment does provide a clue as to the view of the framers of the Constitution in regard to following British common law. The ninth amendment recognizes unenumerated rights and acknowledges legal principles inherited from British law. (Week 9 Day 2 ppt) This principle supports the consideration of British court decisions and legal precedents set by American courts as part of the general historical and legal framework that has shaped the American legal system to