Celia | |
|---|---|
&sq=Qlik&lang=&file=File:Celia_Missouri_slave.jpeg) The only known photograph of Celia | |
| Born | c. 1835[1] |
| Died | December 21, 1855 (aged 19–20) Missouri, U.S. |
| Cause of death | Execution by hanging |
| Nationality | American |
| Known for | Being convicted of murder for killing her master in self-defense |
| Conviction(s) | First-degree murder |
| Criminal penalty | Death |
Celia (c. 1835 - December 21, 1855) was a slave found guilty of the first-degree murder of Robert Newsom, her master, in Callaway County, Missouri. Her defense team, led by John Jameson, argued an affirmative defense: Celia killed Robert Newsom by accident in self-defense to stop Newsom from raping her, which was a controversial argument at the time.[2] Celia was ultimately executed by hanging following a denied appeal in December 1855.[3] Celia's memory was revitalized by civil rights activist Margaret Bush Wilson who commissioned a portrait of Celia from Solomon Thurman.[4]
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
agewas invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ "Slavery and the Making of America . The Slave Experience: Legal Rights & Gov't | PBS". www.thirteen.org. Retrieved 2020-02-22.
- ^ "Celia, A Slave". famous-trials.com. Retrieved 2020-02-22.
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
:7was invoked but never defined (see the help page).