People
Meet the many people who argued for and against carceral, institutional, and interpersonal confinement in the petitions filed in County and District Courts throughout the American West over the long nineteenth century. Browse or search people by name, demographic characteristics, case role, and/or relationships described in each petition. Our encoding practice for people features data pulled from the available case files and in some instances additional data from supplemental sources is also included. Only people with case roles are indexed here, while all persons named in a case are listed on the case page. The Glossary defines the attributes used to structure data from the habeas petitions. The Code Book explains the relational structure of the data and functionality of the database website.
Featured story: Lucía Martínez: Yaqui Arizona, 1854-1900
Basic Search
Simply enter the word you wish to find and the search engine will search for every instance of the word in the journals. For example: Fight. All instances of the use of the word fight will show up on the results page.
Wildcard Searches
Using an asterisk (*) will increase the odds of finding the results you are seeking. For example: Fight*. The search results will display every instance of fight, fights, fighting, etc. More than one wildcard may be used. For example: *ricar*. This search will return most references to the Aricara tribe, including Ricara, Ricares, Aricaris, Ricaries, Ricaree, Ricareis, and Ricarra. Using a question mark (?) instead of an asterisk (*) will allow you to search for a single character. For example, r?n will find all instances of ran and run, but will not find rain or ruin.
Capitalization
Searches are not case sensitive. For example: george will come up with the same results as George.
Phrase Search
Searching for a specific phrase may help narrow down the results. Rather long phrases are no problem. For example: "This white pudding we all esteem".
Subsequent Searches
Because of the creative spellings used by the journalists, it may be necessary to try your search multiple times. For example: P?ro*. This search brings up numerous variant spellings of the French word pirogue, "a large dugout canoe or open boat." Searching for P?*r*og?* will bring up other variant spellings. Searching for canoe or boat also may be helpful.
Filter by:
Case Roles
- bound party 22
- respondent 18
- petitioner 17
- responding party 17
- holding party 15
Birth Place
- Unknown 32
- United States 4
- Illinois 3
- Virginia 2
Age Category
- Adult 18
- Unindicated 17
- Unclear 6
- Minor 3
Relationships
- enslaved by 45
- judged by 40
- attorney for 21
- attorney against 16
- kidnapper of 7
- formerly enslaved by 5
- next friend of 5
- agent of 3
- child of 3
- cohabitating with 3
- jailed by 3
- parent of 3
- presumed relative of 3
- detained by 1
- friend of 1
- grandparent of 1
- in the disputed interpersonal custody of 1
- inlaw of 1
- son 1
Cases
- Habeas Corpus to F. Hickman 3
- In the Matter of Julia alias Mary Ann on Habeas Corpus 3
- Maria Whitten vs. Garland Rucker 3
- Patrick Henry vs. Garland Rucker 3
- Israel/Israil, a man of color vs. William Rector, Isaac Luther 2
- Anna, a woman of color vs. Thomas Higginbotham 2
- Arch v. Barnabas Harris 2
- Aspasia Petition for Habeas Corpus 2
- By the Habeas Corpus Act, State Missouri vs. John Young 2
- Carey, a man of color vs. Benjamin Wilder 2
- Habeas Corpus in the Matter of Adam Marshall 2
- Habeas Corpus in the matter of Eleck Loan 2
- Habeas Corpus To the Jailor of S Louis County. P. Chouteau Sr. B. Pratte & A. Amelin 2
- In the matter of application of M. O. Ricketts for a Writ of Habeas Corpus for the body of ‘Till’ 2
- In the matter of the application of Fannie Fowle, for a writ of Habeas Corpus 2
- John Singleton vs. Alexander Scott, Robert Lewis 2
- John vs. William Campbell 2
- Leah, a woman of color v. Arthur Mitchel 2
- Mahala, a free woman of color v. Martin Mitchell 2
- Marianne, a person of color vs. Elijah Mitchel, Alexander J. Fields 2
- Milly, a black woman, for herself and her two infant children, Eliza and Bob v. Mathias Rose 2
- Peter, a free man of color vs. James Walton, George Walton 2
- To Rolla Rose Habeas Corpus 2
- United States vs. Mathias Rose 2
- Anson, a boy of color v. Henry G. Mitchel and Henry C. Russel 1
- Anson and Michael, persons of color, by and through their next friend, William Clark v. Elijah Mitchel 1
- In the matter of the application of George Walker, John San Francisco and Pedro O'Brien for a Writ of Habeas Corpus 1
- Matilda By the Habeas Corpus act 1
- Michael, a boy of color vs. Henry G. Mitchel and Henry C. Russel 1
- Nathan Cole, a person of color v. Elijah Mitchel 1
- Vincent Duncan vs. James Duncan 1
45 results
Download JSON Download CSVSmith, Mary Logan
- Birth date: April 8, 1792
- Birth place: United States
- Sex: Female
- Race or ethnicity: White
- Case role(s): Petitioner
Marshall, Adam
- Birth date: January 1, 1834
- Birth place: Unknown
- Sex: Male
- Race or ethnicity: Black
- Case role(s): Bound party
Loan, Joseph W.
- Birth date: N.D.
- Birth place: Unknown
- Sex: Male
- Race or ethnicity: Unknown
- Case role(s): Petitioner
Walton, James Jr.
- Birth date: N.D.
- Birth place: Unknown
- Sex: Male
- Race or ethnicity: Unknown
- Case role(s): Respondent, responding party, holding party
Willerford, Milton (Williford, Willeford)
- Birth date: N.D.
- Birth place: Unknown
- Sex: Male
- Case role(s): Respondent, responding party, holding party
Julia (Mary Ann)
- Birth date: N.D.
- Birth place: Unknown
- Sex: Female
- Race or ethnicity: Black
- Case role(s): Bound party
Loan, Eleck
- Birth date: N.D.
- Birth place: Unknown
- Sex: Male
- Race or ethnicity: Black
- Case role(s): Bound party
Campbell, William
- Birth date: N.D.
- Birth place: Unknown
- Sex: Male
- Race or ethnicity: Unclear
- Case role(s): Respondent, responding party
Milly
- Birth date: N.D.
- Birth place: Unknown
- Sex: Female
- Race or ethnicity: Black
- Case role(s): Bound party
Sarah (Sade)
- Birth date: N.D.
- Birth place: Unknown
- Sex: Female
- Race or ethnicity: Black
- Case role(s): Bound party
Israel
- Birth date: N.D.
- Birth place: Unknown
- Sex: Male
- Race or ethnicity: Black
- Case role(s): Petitioner, bound party
Chouteau Sr., Pierre
- Birth date: N.D.
- Birth place: Unknown
- Sex: Male
- Race or ethnicity: Unknown
- Case role(s): Respondent
Young, John
- Birth date: N.D.
- Birth place: Unknown
- Sex: Male
- Race or ethnicity: Unknown
- Case role(s): Holding party, respondent, responding party
Duncan, Robert
- Birth date: N.D.
- Birth place: Unknown
- Sex: Male
- Race or ethnicity: Unknown
- Case role(s): Respondent, responding party, holding party
Adams, Sally
- Birth date: N.D.
- Birth place: Unknown
- Sex: Female
- Race or ethnicity: Unknown
- Case role(s): Respondent, responding party, holding party
Jackson, Peter
- Birth date: N.D.
- Birth place: Unknown
- Sex: Male
- Race or ethnicity: Black
- Case role(s): Petitioner, bound party
Whitten, Maria
- Birth date: N.D.
- Birth place: Virginia
- Sex: Female
- Race or ethnicity: Black
- Case role(s): Petitioner, bound party
Singleton, John
- Birth date: N.D.
- Birth place: United States, Illinois
- Sex: Male
- Race or ethnicity: Man of Color
- Case role(s): Petitioner, bound party
Carey
- Birth date: N.D.
- Birth place: Unknown
- Sex: Male
- Race or ethnicity: Man of Color
- Case role(s): Petitioner, bound party
Higginbotham, Thomas
- Birth date: N.D.
- Birth place: Unknown
- Sex: Male
- Race or ethnicity: Unknown
- Case role(s): Respondent, responding party, holding party
(Till)
- Birth date: N.D.
- Birth place: Unknown
- Sex: Male
- Race or ethnicity: Black
- Case role(s): Bound party
Wilder, Benjamin
- Birth date: N.D.
- Sex: Male
- Race or ethnicity: Unknown
- Case role(s): Respondent, responding party
Finleyson, George J.
- Birth date: N.D.
- Birth place: Unknown
- Sex: Male
- Race or ethnicity: Unknown
- Case role(s): Respondent, holding party, responding party
Chouteau, Francois
- Birth date: N.D.
- Sex: Male
- Race or ethnicity: Unknown
- Case role(s): Respondent
Mitchel, Henry G. (Martin Mitchell)
- Birth date: N.D.
- Birth place: Unknown
- Sex: Male
- Race or ethnicity: Unknown
- Case role(s): Respondent, responding party, holding party
Dolly
- Birth date: N.D.
- Birth place: Unknown
- Sex: Female
- Race or ethnicity: Black
- Case role(s): Bound party, petitioner
Rucker, Garland
- Birth date: N.D.
- Birth place: Unknown
- Sex: Male
- Race or ethnicity: Unclear
- Case role(s): Respondent, responding party, holding party
Luther, Isaac
- Birth date: N.D.
- Sex: Male
- Race or ethnicity: White
- Case role(s): Holding party, responding party
Hannah
- Birth date: N.D.
- Birth place: Unknown
- Sex: Female
- Race or ethnicity: Black
- Case role(s): Bound party
Mitchel, Elijah
- Birth date: N.D.
- Birth place: Unknown
- Sex: Male
- Race or ethnicity: White
- Case role(s): Holding party, respondent, responding party
Harris, Barnabas
- Birth date: N.D.
- Birth place: Unknown
- Sex: Male
- Race or ethnicity: White
- Case role(s): Responding party, holding party
Arch
- Birth date: N.D.
- Birth place: Unknown
- Sex: Male
- Race or ethnicity: Black
- Case role(s): Petitioner, bound party
Anna
- Birth date: N.D.
- Birth place: Unknown
- Sex: Female
- Race or ethnicity: Black
- Case role(s): Petitioner, bound party
Mahala
- Birth date: N.D.
- Birth place: Illinois
- Sex: Female
- Race or ethnicity: Black
- Case role(s): Petitioner, bound party
Titus, Lydia
- Birth date: N.D.
- Birth place: United States
- Sex: Female
- Race or ethnicity: Black
- Case role(s): Petitioner
Aspasia
- Birth date: N.D.
- Birth place: Illinois, United States
- Sex: Female
- Race or ethnicity: Black
- Case role(s): Bound party, petitioner
Fowle, Fannie
- Birth date: N.D.
- Birth place: Unknown
- Sex: Female
- Race or ethnicity: Unknown
- Case role(s): Petitioner, bound party
Joseph
- Birth date: N.D.
- Birth place: Unknown
- Sex: Male
- Race or ethnicity: Black
- Case role(s): Bound party
Mitchel, Arthur
- Birth date: N.D.
- Sex: Male
- Race or ethnicity: White
- Case role(s): Respondent, holding party
Leah
- Birth date: N.D.
- Sex: Female
- Race or ethnicity: Black
- Case role(s): Petitioner, bound party
John
- Birth date: N.D.
- Birth place: Unknown
- Sex: Male
- Race or ethnicity: Unknown
- Case role(s): Petitioner, bound party
Lewis, Robert
- Birth date: N.D.
- Sex: Male
- Race or ethnicity: Unknown
- Case role(s): Respondent, responding party, holding party
Rose, Mathias
- Birth date: N.D.
- Birth place: Unknown
- Sex: Male
- Race or ethnicity: White
- Case role(s): Respondent, holding party, responding party
Henry, Patrick
- Birth date: N.D.
- Birth place: Virginia
- Sex: Male
- Race or ethnicity: Colored
- Case role(s): Petitioner, bound party
Hickman, Francis (Thomas)
- Birth date: N.D.
- Birth place: Unknown
- Sex: Male
- Race or ethnicity: Unknown
- Case role(s): Respondent, responding party
