Dred Scott v. Sandford

Dred Scott background

• Dred Scott was born into slavery in Virginia in 1795.

• He was forced to move many times because of the slave trade.

• First, he was sold to John Emerson who took him and his wife to Missouri where slavery was allowed.

• Later, John Emerson left Dred Scott with his brother, John Sanford, who was a doctor for the U.S. Army.

Dred Scott background continued

• John Sanford was often moved to different places to treat soldiers and he brought Dred Scott with him to the state of Illinois and then to the Wisconsin territory.

  • Both of these places were free territories where slavery was not allowed.

• When Dred Scott returned to Missouri, he sued for his freedom. He said that since he had lived in a free territory, he should be free.

The case went all the way to the Supreme Court

Dred Scott's Motive & Argument

• Dred Scott sued for his freedom because he wanted to fight for his freedom.

• The main argument in his case was that since he had lived in a "free state" and a "free territory," he deserved to be granted freedom.

• His case aimed to challenge the institution of slavery and establish the rights of enslaved individuals.
  

• This landmark legal battle brought attention to the divisive issue of slavery and its impact on the nation's unity.

Dred Scott v. Sandford

The Ruling of The Supreme Court:
1) Dred Scott would remain enslaved
2) Black people (free or enslaved) were not considered to be citizens of the US
3) Because Black people were not citizens, they had no rights.
4) Congress could not stop the spread of slavery to new territories

This decision further divided the nation and fueled the abolitionist movement.

It was a major setback for the fight against slavery.

• Denied citizenship to African Americans

• Strengthened pro-slavery sentiments (feelings)

• Contributed to the outbreak of the Civil War

The North's Reaction

The people in the North were furious with the Supreme Court's decision in the Dred Scott case.


They believed that the decision allowed slavery to spread, which went against their anti-slavery beliefs.


This decision further intensified the tensions between the North and the South, ultimately leading to the American Civil War.

Key Facts

• WHO: Dred Scott - an enslaved man who sued for his freedom

• WHAT: Supreme Court Decision - Scott would remain enslaved, Black people couldn't be citizens, and Congress couldn't stop slavery from spreading

• WHEN: 1857

• HOW DID THE COUNTRY REACT: The North was upset about slavery spreading, the South thought Court approved the practice of slavery. This was one of the factors that led to the Civil War.

• Impacts: Ruled that African Americans were not citizens and had no rights; Was one of the factors that led to the Civil War

Do you know...?

The ruling in the Dred Scott case stated that African Americans, whether enslaved or free, were not considered citizens and therefore had no rights under the Constitution.






Trivia: Which Constitutional Amendments ended slavery & granted formerly enslaved people citizenship?





Answer: The 13th and 14th Amendments.