Dred Scott Decision (1857)

Dred Scott Case Timeline

1799 Dred Scott was born in Virginia.1830-1836 His owner moved to Missouri then to Wisconsin,

where Scott married Harriet.1843-1847 Scott’s owner died. Scott tried to buy his

freedom, but the widow refused the offer.1847 Dred Scott sued for his freedom in Missouri. 1850 St. Louis Circuit Court granted Scott and his

family their freedom.1852 Missouri Supreme Court reversed the

decision.1854 Federal Circuit Court upheld the Missouri

Supreme Court decision. Scott remained a slave

1856 The U.S. Supreme Court agreed to hear the case.

The United States Supreme Court ruled that all people of African ancestry—slaves as well as those who were free—could never become citizens of the United States and therefore could not sue in federal court. The court also ruled that the federal government did not have the power to prohibit slavery in its territories because it deprived citizens of their constitutional protection of their property.

1857

1857 The Blow brothers, his former master's sons and childhood friends of Scott, had helped pay Scott's legal fees through the years. After the Supreme Court's decision, they purchased Scott and his wife and set them free.

Scott was 58 years old.

1858 Dred Scott died nine months after gaining his freedom. He is buried in St. Louis.

See more images of the grave.

While the decision was well-received by slaveholders in the South, many northerners were outraged. The decision greatly influenced the nomination of Abraham Lincoln to the Republican Party and his subsequent election, which in turn led to the South's secession from the Union.

Source: PBS on Dred Scott Case

SourcesGrave: http://www.thecemeteryproject.com/images/Famous%20Dead%20People/Scott,%20Dred%20-%20St%20Louis%20MO%202.jpg

PBS on Dred Scott: http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/aia/part4/4p2932.html

St. Louis U. on Dred Scott: http://library.wustl.edu/vlib/dredscott/

Quick reference for important Supreme Court Decisions http://www.cftech.com/BrainBank/OTHERREFERENCE/LEGAL/SupremCrtDecis.html