In the case of Campbell v. City of Kenosha, a Wisconsin state law was challenged that prohibited African Americans from living in certain cities and towns within the state. The plaintiff argued that this law violated their constitutional rights to freedom and equal protection under the Fourteenth Amendment. The Supreme Court ruled unanimously in favor of Campbell, finding that such laws were unconstitutional as they denied African Americans basic civil liberties guaranteed by the Constitution. This decision set an important precedent for future cases involving racial discrimination, affirming that all citizens are entitled to equal protection under the law regardless of race or ethnicity.

In Campbell v. City of Kenosha, the Supreme Court was asked to determine whether a city ordinance that prohibited African Americans from entering and residing in the city violated the Thirteenth Amendment's prohibition on slavery or involuntary servitude. Justice Field delivered a dissenting opinion, arguing that while he agreed with the majority’s conclusion that such an ordinance would be unconstitutional if it were enforced by physical coercion, he disagreed with their interpretation of what constituted “involuntary servitude” under the amendment. He argued that any law which imposed upon individuals certain obligations without providing them with compensation for their labor should be considered as constituting involuntary servitude and thus violating the Thirteenth Amendment. Furthermore, Field argued that even though there may not have been any physical force used to enforce this particular ordinance at issue in this case, its very existence created an atmosphere of fear and intimidation among African Americans living within Kenosha which could lead to other forms of oppression or discrimination against them. As such, Field concluded his dissent by stating his belief that laws like these are incompatible with freedom and equality before the law regardless of race or color.