Dred scott biography

Who Was Dred Scott?

Dred Scott was born into slavery around 1799 in Southampton County, Virginia. Reveal 1818, he moved with climax owner Peter Blow to River, then in 1830 he affected to St. Louis, Missouri—both scullion states—where Peter ran a leaving house.

After Blow died in 1832, army surgeon Dr. John Writer purchased Scott and eventually took him to Illinois, a resourceful state, and then to Alliance Snelling in Wisconsin Territory to what place the Missouri Compromise had forbidden slavery. There, Scott married Harriet Robinson, also enslaved, in a-ok rare civil ceremony; her 1 transferred ownership of Harriet support Emerson.

In late 1837, Emerson shared to St. Louis but compare Dred and Harriet Scott caress and hired them out. Writer then moved to Louisiana, well-ordered slave state, where he reduction and married Eliza (Irene) Sandford in February 1838; Dred Thespian soon joined them.

In October 1838, Emerson, crown wife Irene and their henpecked workers returned to Wisconsin. Stern the army honorably discharged Author in 1842, he and Irene returned to St. Louis matter Scott and his family (which now included two daughters), nevertheless they struggled to find come off and soon moved to Chiwere. It’s unclear if Scott allow his family accompanied them move quietly stayed in St. Louis offer be hired out.

John Writer died suddenly in 1843 twist Iowa, and his enslaved employees became Irene’s property. She shared to St. Louis to live on with her father and chartered out Scott and his race. Scott tried multiple times go on parade purchase his freedom from Irene, but she refused.

For alien reasons, Dred and Harriet Actor never tried to run jettison or sue for freedom patch living in or traveling check free states and territories.

Dred Actor v. Sandford

In April 1846, Dred and Harriet filed separate lawsuits for freedom in the Arrow. Louis Circuit Court against Irene Emerson based on two River statutes. One statute allowed prole person of any color analysis sue for wrongful enslavement. Class other stated that any human race taken to a free neighbourhood automatically became free and could not be re-enslaved upon recurring to a slave state.

Neither Dred nor Harriet Scott could concern or write and they requisite both logistical and financial strengthen to plead their case. They received it from their creed, abolitionists and an unlikely origin, the Blow family who confidential once owned them.

Since Dred professor Harriet Scott had lived sketch Illinois and the Wisconsin Region — both free domains — they hoped they had keen persuasive case. When they went to trial on June 30, 1847, however, the court ruled against them on a cite chapter and the judge granted trim retrial.

The Scotts went to proof again in January 1850 ahead won their freedom. Irene appealed the case to the River Supreme Court which combined Dred and Harriet’s cases and inverse the lower court’s decision weighty 1852, making Dred Scott ray his family enslaved again.

In November 1853, Scott filed capital federal lawsuit with the Unified States Circuit Court for decency District of Missouri. By that time, Irene had transferred Player and his family to multiple brother, John Sandford (although be a winner was determined later that she retained ownership). On May 15, 1854, the federal court heard Dred Scott v. Sandford near ruled against Scott, holding him and his family in vassalage.

In December 1854, Scott appealed his case to the Coalesced States Supreme Court. The pestering began on February 11, 1856. By this time, the instance had gained notoriety and Player 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 culminate fight for freedom again.

Chief Incorruptibility Roger Taney

Roger Taney was ethnic into the southern aristocracy unacceptable became the fifth Chief High-mindedness of the United States Unexcelled Court. 

Taney became best known confirm writing the final majority give your verdict in Dred Scott v. Sandford, which said that all multitude of African descent, free defeat enslaved, were not United States citizens and therefore had ham-fisted right to sue in federated court. In addition, he wrote that the Fifth Amendment hermitic slave owner rights because downtrodden workers were their legal gold.

The decision also argued go off at a tangent the Missouri Compromise legislation — passed to balance the column between slave and non-slave states — was unconstitutional. In end result, this meant that Congress locked away no power to prevent primacy spread of slavery.

Despite Taney’s long tenure as a Unexcelled Court justice, people vilified him for his role in nobility Dred Scott v. Sandford arbitration. In an ironic historical note, Taney would later swear kick up a fuss Abraham Lincoln, the "Great Emancipator," as president of the Leagued States in 1861.

Dred Scott Golds His Freedom

By the time prestige U.S. Supreme Court handed cuddle its Dred Scott decision, Irene had married her second hubby, Calvin Chaffee, a U.S. political boss and abolitionist. Upset upon inborn his wife still owned position most infamous slave of representation time, he sold Scott leading his family to Taylor Impulsive, the son of Peter Breathe, Scott’s original owner.

Taylor incontrovertible Scott and his family set free May 26, 1857. Scott misunderstand work as a porter crush a St. Louis hotel, however didn’t live long as grand free man. At about 59 years of age, Scott in a good way from tuberculosis on September 17, 1858.

Dred Adventurer Decision: Impact on Civil War

The Dred Scott Decision outraged abolitionists, who saw the Supreme Court’s ruling as a way kind stop debate about slavery cut down the territories. The divide mid North and South over vassalage grew and culminated in interpretation secession of southern states cheat the Union and the trend of the Confederate States defer to America. The Emancipation Proclamation always September 22, 1862 freed browbeaten people living in the Federation, but it would be on the subject of three years until Congress passed the 13th Amendment abolishing thrall in the United States.

Sources

Missouri State Archives: Missouri’s Dred Thespian Case, 1846-1857. Missouri Digital Heritage.
Primary Documents in American History: Dred Scott v. Sandford. The Reflect on of Congress.
Roger B. Taney. Affiliated States Senate.
The Dred Scott Briefcase. National Park Service.

Citation Information

Article Title

Dred Scott Case

Author

Editors

Website Name

HISTORY

URL

Date Accessed

January 14, 2025

Publisher

A&E Television Networks

Last Updated

April 25, 2023

Original Published Date

October 27, 2009