The Taxed Vegetable
Why the law says a tomato is not a fruit
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Beschreibung
Discover the 1893 Supreme Court case that legally declared the tomato a vegetable just so the government could tax it.
"The Taxed Vegetable – Why the law says a tomato is not a fruit" dives into the legal case Nix v. Hedden (1893). Botanically, everyone knows a tomato is a fruit (it has seeds). But in the late 19th century, the US had a tariff on imported vegetables, but not on fruit. The Nix family, tomato importers, sued the tax collector, arguing they shouldn't pay the tax because tomatoes are fruits.
Legal historian Oliver Court analyzes the Supreme Court's unanimous decision. Justice Horace Gray ruled that while tomatoes are scientifically fruits, in the "common language of the people," they are vegetables because they are eaten with dinner, not dessert. Therefore, they must be taxed.
"The Taxed Vegetable" is a fascinating look at the clash between scientific truth and legal reality. It shows how the definitions of words can cost millions of dollars and how the law creates its own version of biology to suit the government's wallet.
Autor*in
Oliver Court
Author
Themen in »The Taxed Vegetable«
Nix v. Hedden Supreme Court 1893 Tomato Botany vs Law Taxes Tariff