Bailey v. Alabama

Infobox SCOTUS case
Litigants=Bailey v. Alabama
SubmitDate=October 20
SubmitYear=1910
DecideDate=January 3
DecideYear=1911
FullName= Alonzo Bailey, Plaintiff in Error, v. State of Alabama
USVol=211
USPage=452
Citation=29 S. Ct. 141; 53 L. Ed. 278; 219 U.S. 219 (1911)
Prior=Error to the Supreme Court of Alabama
Subsequent=
Holding=
SCOTUS=1910
Majority=Hughes
JoinMajority=Harlan, Day, White, McKenna, Moody
Dissent= Holmes
JoinDissent= Lurton
LawsApplied=

"Bailey v. Alabama", ussc|211|452|1908, was a United States Supreme Court case which overturned the peonage laws of Alabama. The "Alonzo Bailey case" is regarded as being the most important case of its kind after the "Dred Scott v. Sandford" decision, ussc|60|393|1857.

Alonzo Bailey was a African American from Alabama who agreed to work for one year at $12 per month. He received an advance of $15. After working for a little over a month he stopped work, but did not refund any money. According to Alabama law such refusal to work and refund the money was "prima facie" evidence of intent to defraud.

The Supreme Court found that holding a person criminally liable for taking money for work not performed was akin to indentured servitude, outlawed by the Thirteenth Amendment, insofar as it required that person to work rather than be found guilty of a crime. The case is important because the peonage laws of the State of Alabama were found to be unconstitutional.

ee also

*Black Codes in the USA
*Indentured servant
*List of United States Supreme Court cases, volume 211

Further reading

*New International Encyclopedia
* cite journal | last = Daniel | first = Pete | authorlink = | coauthors = | year = 1970 | month = | title = Up from Slavery and Down to Peonage: The Alonzo Bailey Case | journal = The Journal of American History | volume = 57 | issue = 3 | pages = 654–670 | doi = 10.2307/1917980 | url = | quote =

External links

* [http://www.enfacto.com/case/U.S./211/452/ Bailey v. Alabama, 211 U.S. 452 (1908)] (opinion full text).
* [http://www.supremecourtus.gov/opinions/casefinder/casefinder_1907-1925.html U.S. Supreme Court Case Citation Finder for 1907 to 1925 terms (207 - 271 U.S.)]