Uploaded March 2025 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
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John Tennyson v. State - Georgia Court of Appeals
16 Ga. App. 214 (1915)
Following the Civil War, many southern states enacted statutes criminalizing breaches of contract by laborers.
Under Georgia's labor contract law for instance, a worker committed the crime of cheating and swindling if the worker failed to perform a contract and it could be proven that the worker entered the contract and accepted an advance with no intention of performing.
These laws were often used against black laborers to perpetuate involuntary servitude after the end of slavery.
In Tennyson versus State, a Georgia sharecropper challenged his conviction.
John Tennyson was a sharecropper for HD Brinson.
Brinson paid Tennyson an advance of two dollars on a contract for Tennyson to cut four cords of wood on Brinson's land. Tennyson continued to work on his crop, but didn't cut the wood by the expected performance state. Thereafter, Tennyson and Brinson had a disagreement, and Brinson whipped Tennyson.
Following the whipping, Tennyson left the property without cutting the wood or returning the advance.
Tennyson left his entire crop to Brinson.
Brinson pressed charges against Tennyson for cheating and swindling, in violation of the Georgia Labor Contract Act. Brinson testified that Tennyson had no cause for not cutting the wood. Brinson also testified that he hadn't yet sold all of Tennyson's crop. In a statement, Tennyson said that he left because Brinson beat him and told him to leave. Tennyson was convicted and appealed to the Georgia Court of Appeals.
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Get more case briefs explained with Quimbee. Quimbee has over 42,700 case briefs (and counting) keyed to 988 casebooks ► quimbee.com/case-briefs-overview
John Tennyson v. State - Georgia Court of Appeals
16 Ga. App. 214 (1915)
Following the Civil War, many southern states enacted statutes criminalizing breaches of contract by laborers.
Under Georgia's labor contract law for instance, a worker committed the crime of cheating and swindling if the worker failed to perform a contract and it could be proven that the worker entered the contract and accepted an advance with no intention of performing.
These laws were often used against black laborers to perpetuate involuntary servitude after the end of slavery.
In Tennyson versus State, a Georgia sharecropper challenged his conviction.
John Tennyson was a sharecropper for HD Brinson.
Brinson paid Tennyson an advance of two dollars on a contract for Tennyson to cut four cords of wood on Brinson's land. Tennyson continued to work on his crop, but didn't cut the wood by the expected performance state. Thereafter, Tennyson and Brinson had a disagreement, and Brinson whipped Tennyson.
Following the whipping, Tennyson left the property without cutting the wood or returning the advance.
Tennyson left his entire crop to Brinson.
Brinson pressed charges against Tennyson for cheating and swindling, in violation of the Georgia Labor Contract Act. Brinson testified that Tennyson had no cause for not cutting the wood. Brinson also testified that he hadn't yet sold all of Tennyson's crop. In a statement, Tennyson said that he left because Brinson beat him and told him to leave. Tennyson was convicted and appealed to the Georgia Court of Appeals.
Want more details on this case? Get the rule of law, issues, holding and reasonings, and more case facts here: quimbee.com/cases/john-tennyson-v-state
The Quimbee App features over 42,700 case briefs keyed to 988 casebooks. Try it free for 7 days! ► quimbee.com/case-briefs-overview
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