Stephen J. (Stephen Johnson) Field

author

Stephen J. (Stephen Johnson) Field

1816–1899

A major figure in 19th-century American law, this longtime Supreme Court justice helped shape debates over federal power, economic liberty, and the rights of Chinese immigrants. His career stretched from Gold Rush California politics to more than three decades on the nation’s highest court.

1 Audiobook

Personal reminiscences of early days in California, with other sketches : to which is added the story of his attempted assassination by a former associate on the supreme bench of the state

Personal reminiscences of early days in California, with other sketches : to which is added the story of his attempted assassination by a former associate on the supreme bench of the state

by Stephen J. (Stephen Johnson) Field, George C. (George Congdon) Gorham

About the author

Born in Connecticut in 1816 and educated at Williams College, he went west during the California Gold Rush and quickly became a leading legal and political figure in the new state. He served in California’s legislature and then on the California Supreme Court, where he was known for his strong views and forceful personality.

In 1863, Abraham Lincoln appointed him to the U.S. Supreme Court. He remained there until 1897, giving him one of the longest tenures in the Court’s history. Field became especially influential in cases involving business regulation, due process, and the reach of state and federal authority.

He is also remembered for opinions touching civil rights and immigration, including his role in decisions involving Chinese immigrants in the American West. Even when later courts moved away from some of his ideas, his work remained an important part of the story of how American constitutional law developed in the late 1800s.