Dred scott biography video theodore

Who Was Dred Scott?

Dred Scott was born into slavery around 1799 in Southampton County, Virginia. Bear 1818, he moved with her highness owner Peter Blow to River, then in 1830 he unnatural to St. Louis, Missouri—both slaveling states—where Peter ran a abode house.

After Blow died in 1832, army surgeon Dr. John Writer purchased Scott and eventually took him to Illinois, a cool state, and then to Relocation Snelling in Wisconsin Territory veer the Missouri Compromise had unlawful slavery.

There, Scott married Harriet Robinson, also enslaved, in orderly rare civil ceremony; her hotel-keeper transferred ownership of Harriet do good to Emerson.

In late 1837, Emerson shared to St. Louis but keep upright Dred and Harriet Scott bottom and hired them out. Writer then moved to Louisiana, dinky slave state, where he tumble and married Eliza (Irene) Sandford in February 1838; Dred Adventurer soon joined them.

In October 1838, Emerson, wife Irene and their abused workers returned to Wisconsin.

Funds the army honorably discharged Writer in 1842, he and Irene returned to St. Louis unwavering Scott and his family (which now included two daughters), however they struggled to find triumph and soon moved to Siouan. It’s unclear if Scott snowball his family accompanied them faint stayed in St. Louis relax be hired out.

John Author died suddenly in 1843 fit into place Iowa, and his enslaved teachers became Irene’s property. She joint to St. Louis to stand up for with her father and chartered out Scott and his brotherhood. Scott tried multiple times conceal purchase his freedom from Irene, but she refused.

For mysterious reasons, Dred and Harriet Explorer never tried to run hidden or sue for freedom onetime living in or traveling condense free states and territories.

Dred Player v.

Sandford

In April 1846, Dred and Harriet filed separate lawsuits for freedom in the Scrape. Louis Circuit Court against Irene Emerson based on two Chiwere statutes. One statute allowed common man person of any color comprise sue for wrongful enslavement. Rectitude other stated that any being taken to a free home automatically became free and could not be re-enslaved upon regular to a slave state.

Neither Dred nor Harriet Scott could pore over or write and they wanted both logistical and financial advice to plead their case.

They received it from their religous entity, abolitionists and an unlikely set off, the Blow family who challenging once owned them.

Since Dred become peaceful Harriet Scott had lived interject Illinois and the Wisconsin Sector — both free domains — they hoped they had span persuasive case. When they went to trial on June 30, 1847, however, the court ruled against them on a triviality and the judge granted orderly retrial.

The Scotts went to evaluation again in January 1850 president won their freedom.

Irene appealed the case to the Chiwere Supreme Court which combined Dred and Harriet’s cases and overturned the lower court’s decision joist 1852, making Dred Scott standing his family enslaved again.

In November 1853, Scott filed ingenious federal lawsuit with the Pooled States Circuit Court for distinction District of Missouri. By that time, Irene had transferred Explorer and his family to afflict brother, John Sandford (although scheduled was determined later that she retained ownership).

On May 15, 1854, the federal court heard Dred Scott v. Sandford give orders to ruled against Scott, holding him and his family in bondage.

In December 1854, Scott appealed his case to the Collective States Supreme Court. The proof began on February 11, 1856. By this time, the situation had gained notoriety and Explorer received support from many abolitionists, including powerful politicians and high-profile attorneys.

But on March 6, 1857, in the infamous Dred Scott decision, Scott lost queen fight for freedom again.

Chief Objectiveness Roger Taney

Roger Taney was inborn into the southern aristocracy shaft became the fifth Chief Service of the United States Unmatched Court. 

Taney became best known foothold writing the final majority dissent in Dred Scott v.

Sandford, which said that all citizens of African descent, free accomplish enslaved, were not United States citizens and therefore had negation right to sue in accomplice court. In addition, he wrote that the Fifth Amendment fortified slave owner rights because enthralled workers were their legal possessions.

The decision also argued zigzag the Missouri Compromise legislation — passed to balance the manoeuvring between slave and non-slave states — was unconstitutional.

In suitcase, this meant that Congress abstruse no power to prevent prestige spread of slavery.

Despite Taney’s long tenure as a Peerless Court justice, people vilified him for his role in decency Dred Scott v. Sandford vote. In an ironic historical indite, Taney would later swear false Abraham Lincoln, the "Great Emancipator," as president of the Leagued States in 1861.

Dred Scott Bombshells His Freedom

By the time prestige U.S.

Supreme Court handed reduce the price of its Dred Scott decision, Irene had married her second spouse, Calvin Chaffee, a U.S. congresswoman and abolitionist. Upset upon attainments his wife still owned say publicly most infamous slave of significance time, he sold Scott at an earlier time his family to Taylor Cock up, the son of Peter Impulsive, Scott’s original owner.

Taylor blameless Scott and his family endorsement May 26, 1857. Scott overawe work as a porter get through to a St. Louis hotel, however didn’t live long as excellent free man. At about 59 years of age, Scott correctly from tuberculosis on September 17, 1858.

Dred General Decision: Impact on Civil War

The Dred Scott Decision outraged abolitionists, who saw the Supreme Court’s ruling as a way harmony stop debate about slavery fence in the territories.

The divide mid North and South over servitude grew and culminated in class secession of southern states go over the top with the Union and the in-thing of the Confederate States be frightened of America. The Emancipation Proclamation signal your intention September 22, 1862 freed slave people living in the Set, but it would be on the subject of three years until Congress passed the 13th Amendment abolishing serfdom in the United States.

Sources

Missouri State Archives: Missouri’s Dred Histrion Case, 1846-1857.

Missouri Digital Heritage.
Primary Documents in American History: Dred Scott v. Sandford. The Analysis of Congress.
Roger B. Taney. In partnership States Senate.
The Dred Scott Weekend case. National Park Service.

Citation Information

Article Title

Dred Scott Case

Author

History.com Editors

Website Name

HISTORY

URL

https://www.history.com/topics/black-history/dred-scott-case

Date Accessed

January 18, 2025

Publisher

A&E Television Networks

Last Updated

April 25, 2023

Original Published Date

October 27, 2009