Van Slyke v. Wisconsin was a United States Supreme Court case that was decided in 1870. The case involved a dispute between a Wisconsin resident, Van Slyke, and the state of Wisconsin. Van Slyke had been convicted of a crime and sentenced to a term of imprisonment. He then filed a writ of habeas corpus, arguing that his conviction was unconstitutional because the jury that convicted him had been selected in a manner that violated the Fourteenth Amendment. The Supreme Court agreed with Van Slyke, ruling that the jury selection process used by Wisconsin was unconstitutional. The Court held that the Fourteenth Amendment prohibited states from denying citizens the right to a jury trial based on race or color. The Court also held that the Fourteenth Amendment protected the right to a jury trial regardless of whether the jury was composed of citizens of the same state or of citizens of other states. The decision in Van Slyke v. Wisconsin was an important victory for civil rights advocates. It established that the Fourteenth Amendment protected the right to a jury trial regardless of race or color, and it also established that the Fourteenth Amendment protected the right to a jury trial regardless of the jury's composition. This decision was an important step in the development of civil rights law in the United States.

In the case of Van Slyke v. Wisconsin, Chief Justice Chase delivered a dissenting opinion in which he argued that the state of Wisconsin had no right to tax an individual's property without their consent. He reasoned that such taxation was unconstitutional and violated the Fourteenth Amendment, as it deprived individuals of their property without due process or equal protection under law. Furthermore, he noted that if states were allowed to impose taxes on citizens' personal property without their consent then they would be able to do so with impunity and could potentially use this power for oppressive purposes. Ultimately, Chief Justice Chase concluded by stating his belief that any form of taxation should only be imposed upon individuals after obtaining their voluntary agreement through contract or other means.