Dred Scott and the Fight for Freedom
Dred Scott, an enslaved man, sued for his freedom in a case that eventually reached the U.S. Supreme Court in 1857. The Court ruled that Black Americans could not be U.S. citizens and that Scott had no right to sue in federal court. It also declared the Missouri Compromise unconstitutional, further intensifying the growing conflict over slavery.
The decision denied Scott his freedom and deepened divisions between the North and South. Although Scott was later freed by the family that had originally enslaved him, he died less than a year later. His case became a defining moment in the growing conflict over slavery that preceded the Civil War.
Lesson Express
Q: What information was new to you?
A: Student responses will vary. Students may mention the length of time that the case took to get through the courts, that the Supreme Court was pro-slavery at the time, or that Dred Scott had lived and worked in free and slave states.
Q: Why do you think the Dred Scott decision divided the North and South?
A: Student responses will vary. Students may discuss how the decision affected views about slavery, citizenship, and the rights of enslaved people. They may also consider how major Supreme Court decisions can lead to disagreement because people have different views about laws and rights.
Q: Why was the Supreme Court pro-slavery at that time?
A: Most of the justices came from slave-holding states.