Young v. Preston was a case heard by the United States Supreme Court in 1807. The dispute arose when William Young, an African American man from Virginia, sued for his freedom after being sold as a slave to James Preston of Maryland. In his suit, Young argued that he had been born free and should not have been enslaved under the laws of either state. The court ultimately ruled against him on the grounds that it did not have jurisdiction over matters concerning slavery since it was regulated by individual states rather than federal law at this time period. However, Justice Bushrod Washington wrote in his opinion that while he could not grant Young's request due to lack of authority, he believed "the right asserted is founded upon principles which are recognized and acknowledged throughout all civilized nations." This decision set precedent for future cases involving slaves seeking their freedom through legal means despite existing state regulations regarding slavery at the time.

In Young v. Preston, the Supreme Court was asked to decide whether a state court had jurisdiction over a case involving citizens of different states. The majority opinion held that it did not have such authority and dismissed the appeal. However, Justice Samuel Chase dissented from this decision on the grounds that Article III of the Constitution gave Congress power to make laws regulating diversity cases between citizens of different states in federal courts. He argued that since Congress had not yet exercised its power in this area, state courts should be allowed to hear these cases until they do so. Furthermore, he noted that allowing state courts to hear these types of cases would promote justice by providing an accessible forum for those who could not afford access to federal court proceedings or were unable due other circumstances beyond their control from doing so.