History

The Trial and Execution, for Petit Treason, of Mark and Phillis, Slaves of Capt. John Codman (Annotated)

Enriched Edition. Record of a Trial for a Case of Murder, Committed by Two SlavesBy Abner Cheney Goodell

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Length2h 6m

About this audiobook

The Trial and Execution, for Petit Treason, of Mark and Phillis, Slaves of Capt. John Codman is a compact but revealing documentary study of an eighteenth-century Massachusetts criminal case: the poisoning of Captain Codman and the prosecution of enslaved people under the archaic doctrine of "petit treason." Written in an antiquarian-legal style, the work reconstructs indictments, proceedings, punishments, and public memory, placing colonial slavery within English common-law categories and exposing the brutal symbolism of execution, burning, and gibbeting in provincial justice. Abner Cheney Goodell, a distinguished Massachusetts jurist, legal historian, and editor of colonial records, brought to the subject a deep familiarity with early New England institutions and archival method. His interest in the case reflects the nineteenth-century effort to recover local legal history, but also a lawyer's sensitivity to obsolete crimes, evidentiary practice, and the uneasy coexistence of Puritan civic order with slavery in Massachusetts. This book is recommended to readers of legal history, slavery studies, and colonial New England. Though brief, it is invaluable for understanding how law transformed bondage, household violence, and social fear into exemplary punishment. This enriched edition has been carefully crafted to add value to your reading experience. - Hand‐picked Memorable Quotes shine a spotlight on moments of literary brilliance. - Interactive footnotes clarify unusual references, historical allusions, and archaic phrases for an effortless, more informed read.

Conspiracy Crime Rebellion Betrayal Antihero Revenge