Our Collection

At the Institute’s core is the Gilder Lehrman Collection, one of the great archives in American history. More than 85,000 items cover five hundred years of American history, from Columbus’s 1493 letter describing the New World through the end of the twentieth century.

Parker, Joel (1795-1875) Habeas corpus and martial law. A review of the opinion of Chief Justice Taney, in the case of John Merryman.

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Gilder Lehrman Collection #: GLC08599.11 Author/Creator: Parker, Joel (1795-1875) Place Written: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Type: Pamphlet Date: 1862 Pagination: 1 v. : 55 p. ; 23.8 x 14.9 cm. Order a Copy

Published by John Campbell. Second addition. Parker reviews the decision of Justice Roger B. Taney regarding the seizure of John Merryman, who was allegedly imprisoned without due process. Cover is missing. Back page is detached from binding.

In 1861, President Abraham Lincoln suspended the writ of habeas corpus for all military related cases. Suspension of this writ, which is guaranteed by Article I of the United States Constitution, provoked much controversy. In opposition to Lincoln's action, Taney upheld that the executive did not have the power to suspend the writ.

Parker, Joel, 1795-1875
Campbell, John, 1810-1874
Taney, Roger Brooke, 1777-1864
Merryman, John, 1824-1881

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