Celia

Biography

Celia (c. 1835 – December 21, 1855) was an enslaved woman who was convicted of murdering her enslaver, Robert Newsom, 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. Celia was ultimately executed by hanging following a denied appeal in December 1855.

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