The supreme court chose to rule on a controversial issue, and they made the wrong decision. In essence, the decision argued that as a slave scott was not a citizen and could not sue in a federal court. This opinion of chief justice taney and those of his eminent colleagues of the supreme court of the republic, is an epoch in our civil. In this lesson, we will explore the famous dred scott v. The judge ruled against scott in what is often considered one of the worst supreme court decisions in american history. The dred scott decision, then, represented a culmination of what many at that time considered a push to expand slavery. Dred scott was a slave who moved to a free state with the consent of his then master emerson. Supreme court ruled 72 that a slave who had resided in a free state and territory was not thereby entitled to his freedom, that african americans were not and could never be u.
After a federal district court decided against scott, the case came on appeal to the supreme court. The case persisted through several courts and ultimately reached the. Dred scott united states slave who sued for liberty after living in a nonslave state. If you would like to download the powerpoint used in this video, please go here. Using a variety of documents that reflect regional opinions and political debates, paul finkelman examines the 1857 decision that helped set in motion the events that eventually led to a new birth of freedom and the abolition of slavery in the united states. Dred scott, a case that intensified national divisions over the issue of slavery. Dred scott then sued sanford in a state court, arguing that he was legally free. Dred scott decision, legal case 1857 in which the u. Sandford, otherwise known as the dred scott decision, was a case decided by the supreme court of the united states in 1857 and seen as a landmark decision in the debate surrounding the constitutionality and legality of slavery.
Explain the importance of the supreme courts dred scott ruling. Sandford a missouri slave sued for his freedom, claiming that his four year stay in the northern portion of the louisiana territory made free land by the missouri compromise had made him a free man. Speaking for a fragmented majority composed of all five of the courts southerners and two of their northern colleagues, taney held that no african american had ever been or ever could be a citizen of the united states. Government and politics pushpull annotated timeline federalism the division of power between the national government and the state governments. Can a slave be consider a citizen and legally be able to use the court to sue. Sandford case of 1857 was brought to the supreme court just four years before the start of the civil war. Taney a missouri slave sued for his freedom, claiming that his four year stay in the northern portion of the louisiana territory made free land by the missouri compromise had made him a free man. Dred scott decision the decision in the legal case of the american negro slave dred scott. An extremely popular story in the north, 300,000 copies sold in first year. Beginning with the decision against dred scotts plea for freedom, this fairly dense, informationpacked book swiftly establishes the importance of scotts case as a trigger for the american civil war. Perhaps no other supreme court decision has had the political impact of dred scott v. Dred scott synonyms, dred scott pronunciation, dred scott translation, english dictionary definition of dred scott. Slavery was at the root of the case of dred scott v.
Dred scott, african american slave at the center of the u. The dred scott decision deeply divided the country and helped push it. This collection presents 396 pamphlets from the rare book and special collections division, published from 1822 through 1909, by africanamerican authors and. The ruling rejected scotts plea for emancipationwhich he based on his temporary residence in a free state and territory where slavery was prohibitedand struck down the missouri compromise. Subsequent chapters provide readers with background on the history of slavery in the new world before diving into the details of the case. Supreme court attempted to resolve the legal status of african americans in dred scott v. Dred scott was a slave suing for his freedom based on a number of factors. Slaves are not citizens under the united states constitution. When the master wanted to move back south, the slave dred scott protested, claiming that his. The judge ruled against scott in what is often considered one of the.
October 12, 2015 clip of supreme court landmark case dred scott v. Sandford was a case brought before the united states supreme court in the years prior to the american civil war. Dred scotts case holds a unique place in american constitutional history as an example of the supreme court trying to impose a judicial solution on a political problem. Sanford, which is commonly referred to as the dred scott case is considered to be one of the most famous court cases in the history of the united states, and arguably the most famous court case with regard to the civil rights movement. In addition to providing the facts concerning the case it also provides the history that led to the case and a view of the nation as it existed when the case was decided. The case before the court was that of dred scott v. Since he was property not citizen he could not use the court and could not petition for rights. In the dred scott decision, the supreme court ruled that. The dred scott decision was one of the most important turning points in the debate over slavery in the united states.
Dred scott sued his master to obtain freedom for himself and his family. When emerson died, scott tried to purchase both the freedom of himself and his family, but the estate refused. Supreme court in which the court held that the constitution of the united states was not meant to include american citizenship for black people, regardless of whether they were enslaved or free, and therefore the rights and privileges it confers upon. The decision was a culmination of what many at that time considered a push to expand. Dred scott, a case that intensified national divisions over the issue of slavery in 1834, dred scott, a slave, had been taken to. It is considered by many to have been a key cause of the american civil war, and of the later ratification of the thirteenth, fourteenth, and fifteenth amendments to the united states constitution, leading to the abolition of slavery and. Sandford, it is important to first detail the life dred scott and his family led. The decision heightened tensions and convinced abolitionists that the legal system was immoral. Supreme courts pivotal dred scott decision of 1857. As the country grew, free states began to outnumber slave states in number and population, and abolitionists gained political strength.
Taney secured his claim to infamy when he delivered the supreme courts ruling in dred scott v. Sanford is commonly referred to as the dred scott case. Sanford 1857 the period between the ratification of the constitution and the civil war was marked by increased efforts for the abolition of slavery. Dred scott, a slave who had lived in the free state of illinois and the free territory of wisconsin before moving back to the slave. Dred scott, the plaintiff, was an africanamerican slave belonging to john. Taney declared that a negro in this case, scott was not entitled to rights as a u. Sanford, was a decadelong fight for freedom by a black slave named dred scott. Emersons brother, was the legal administrator of her property and a resident of new york, the federal court accepted jurisdiction for the case on the basis of diversity of state citizenship. Scott was a missouri slave, and sanford whose last name was misspelled in court papers was a new york businessman who had custody of some family property, including scott. In 1846, after laboring and saving for years, the scotts sought to buy their freedom from sanford, but she refused. The dred scott decision was the supreme courts ruling on march 6, 1857, that having lived in a free state and territory did not entitle a slave, dred scott, to his freedom.
The two argued the important issues of the day like popular sovereignty, the lecompton constitution and the dred scott decision. Sandford argued 1856 decided 1857, the supreme court ruled that americans of african descent, whether free or slave, were not american citizens and could not sue in federal court. Dred scott sued his master for his freedom and judge robert taney. Sandford was a 1857 case in which the supreme court ruled that black slaves were not citizens of the united states, therefore, slaves cannot claim any rights or privileges granted to white citizens because theyre not official citizens of the state. Dred scott decision apush questions will likely cover the impact this. The case was heard at different levels of the court system and started in 1848, when scott asked the court to declare him a free man since for four years, from 1834 to 1838, he had lived with his master in the free states of illinois and wisconsin. It exposed the evils of slavery and promoted ideas that it was antichristain, antifamily, antidoi, and that it hurt the owners just as much as it hurt the slaves. Sanford, the supreme court ruled that no black could claim u. Chief justice roger taney s belief that the court could settle the issue proved mistaken, however.
Supreme court hands down its decision on sanford v. Dred scott definition of dred scott by the free dictionary. After returning to missouri, scott filed suit in missouri court for his freedom, claiming that his residence in free territory made him a free man. Sanford, which addressed slavery and freedom before the civil war. Sandford case of 1857, popularly known as the dred scott case. Sandforddecision will forever be known as a dark moment in americas history.
This book provides a clear and concise overview of the dred scott v sanford decision often cited as one of the worse decisions of the supreme court. Using your book and the internet, research how key eventstopics and cases. One of the two won these debates, but the others position in these debates helped him win in the 1860 presidential election. Also available in digital form on the library of congress web site. His argument was that he had lived in a territory where slavery was illegal. Sanford is one of the most famous cases in the history of the united states. Sanford was a 1857 supreme court case in which a slave, dred scott, tried. The 1857 decision by the united states supreme court in the dred scott case. Dred scott plaintiff was a slave living in the slave state of missouri. The reaction to the dred scott decision chapman university. Supreme court, which denied scott his freedom by ruling that negroslave descendants were not u. From 1833 to 1843, he resided in illinois a free state and in the louisiana territory, where slavery was forbidden by the missouri compromise of 1820. We will learn about the cases background, the courts findings, and the impact of this landmark decision.
1123 1018 1294 245 649 1547 400 770 1145 602 1294 238 807 340 1548 1455 938 1377 1260 84 580 1622 822 823 330 748 221 485 147 178 619 118