This article explores the seminal United States Supreme Court
decision of United States v. Smith (1820). Smith, an early
piracy case, has influenced developments in both domestic and
international law on piracy, universal jurisdiction, and a range
of broader themes. This article is the first to explore the
context within which the case arose, as well as the
circumstances of the case itself. In addition to the details of
the case, the story of the men prosecuted for their cruise
aboard the vessel known as the Irresistible in the late spring
and early summer of 1819 also offers a window into important
issues of the day, including growing federal assertions of power
over the states, the roles of Congress and the courts in
defining and punishing piracy under the Constitution, theories
of punishment, and the power of the press. Wednesday, March 20,
2013 Samuels on America's Most Important Piracy Case Posted by
Dan Ernst Joel H. Samuels, University of South Carolina School
of Law, has posted The Full Story of Unite