On this date in 1819, Miguel de Castro v. Ninety-five enslaved Africans was decided. This was a Libel case for restitution case against American chattel slavery.
In October 1817, ninety-five enslaved Africans were taken by pirates from the Portuguese ship "Jesu Nasareno," owned by Miguel de Castro. Originally bound for Havana, Cuba, the Africans were taken to Amelia Island off the coast of East Florida, sold to William Bowen, an agent for a Savannah merchant, and subsequently transported through Georgia to the Creek Indian territory.
The following case involved violations of the Non-Importation Act of Congress (1807), which outlawed the importation of slaves into the United States. The filing occurred on May 5, 1818.
