Hurd v. Rock Island Bridge Co.
Hurd v. Rock Island Bridge Company | |
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Court | United States Circuit Court for Northern Illinois (U.S. Circuit Court at Chicago) |
Decided | September 8, 1857 |
Hurd v. Rock Island Bridge Company (1857) is an American civil case that allowed
Case
America's expansion west, which Lincoln strongly supported, was seen as an economic threat to the river trade, which ran north-to-south, primarily on the
Lincoln was lead counsel in court for the railroad, in a jury trial before the United States Circuit Court for Northern Illinois in Chicago.[2] The trial was presided over by Supreme Court justice John McLean. The jury deadlocked at 9 to 3 in the railroad's favor.[3] Although the case did not reach a final judgment, observers considered the outcome a surprising victory for the railroad.[3] Lincoln's role in the case helped solidify his reputation as a skilled trial attorney.[2]
The legal issues around the Rock Island Bridge were not fully resolved until the
References
- ^ McGinty, Brian. Lincoln's Greatest Case: The River, the Bridge, and the Making of America. United States: Liveright, 2015.
- ^ a b c d Pfeiffer, David A. (Summer 2004). "The Railroads and Steamboats Clash at the Rock Island Bridge". Prologue Magazine. Vol. 36, no. 2. National Archives. Retrieved March 9, 2020.
- ^ a b Ely, James W. Jr. (2005). "Lincoln and the Rock Island Bridge Case" (PDF). Biennial Railroad Symposium 2005: Lincoln and the Railroads. Retrieved March 9, 2020.