The Antebellum Courthouse as Creditors' Domain: Trial-Court Activity in South Carolina and the Concomitance of Lending and Litigation

American Journal of Legal History, Vol. 40, p. 331, July 1996

34 Pages Posted: 4 Apr 2010

See all articles by Thomas D. Russell

Thomas D. Russell

University of Florida Levin College of Law; Washington University in St. Louis - Washington University in St. Louis - School of Law; University of Denver Sturm College of Law

Date Written: July 1, 1996

Abstract

This article presents an overview of trial-court civil practices in antebellum South Carolina. The docket was dominated - entirely during some sessions - by creditors. Creditors used the trial-court procedures to secure collateral by having debtors confess judgment in exchange for agreements by creditors that they would forgo execution and sale as long as the debtor remained in good standing. Today, Article 9 of the Uniform Commercial Code has replaced this system of debtors' confession of judgment. Southern courts were quite sophisticated in their legal facilitation of credit relationships.

The article presents an analysis of primary, trial-court records of antebellum South Carolina. This piece presents foundational analysis for other empirical work that demonstrates that the antebellum courts conducted a majority of slave auctions and that the risk of family separation for slaves was higher when courts did the selling.

Keywords: Empirical, Empiricism, quantitative, Debt, Credit, Finance, Secured credit, Article 9, UCC, Legal history, History, Slavery, Slave, Slave auctions, Auctions, Ideology, Sheriffs, Chancery, South Carolina, Antebellum, Trial courts

Suggested Citation

Russell, Thomas David, The Antebellum Courthouse as Creditors' Domain: Trial-Court Activity in South Carolina and the Concomitance of Lending and Litigation (July 1, 1996). American Journal of Legal History, Vol. 40, p. 331, July 1996, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=1581690

Thomas David Russell (Contact Author)

University of Florida Levin College of Law ( email )

P.O. Box 117625
Gainesville, FL 32611-7625
United States
+1 352 273-0687 (Phone)

HOME PAGE: http://HouseofRussell.com

Washington University in St. Louis - Washington University in St. Louis - School of Law ( email )

1 Brookings Drive
St. Louis, MO 63130
United States
7208414665 (Phone)

HOME PAGE: http://law.wustl.edu/faculty-staff-directory/profile/tom-russell/

University of Denver Sturm College of Law ( email )

2255 E. Evans Avenue
Suite 407D
Denver, CO 80208
United States
303-871-6224 (Phone)

HOME PAGE: http://www.houseofrussell.com

Do you have negative results from your research you’d like to share?

Paper statistics

Downloads
53
Abstract Views
635
Rank
681,958
PlumX Metrics