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Dred Scott Court Case

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Dred Scott was an enslaved African American who was a prominent figure in one of the most well-known court decisions in our history. He was born in Virginia around 1800, owned by Peter Blow and Elizabeth Taylor. Scott worked for the Blows, but later became Dr. John Emerson's body servant when Elizabeth and Peter died in 1831. Scott moved to Fort Armstrong, Illinois, which was the first time Scott had lived in “free” land. In 1836, Dred Scott met Harriet Robinson, a slave owned by a local justice, who soon became his wife. In 1843, Dr. Emerson died, and Dred Scott started to seek freedom. On April 6th, 1846, Dred Scott and Harriet attempted to file suit against Mrs. Emerson to gain freedom. Friends of Scott had encouraged him to sue for freedom, since he had once lived in free territory. Like the Missouri Courts had supported in the past, “once free, always free.” After going to trial on June 30, 1847, the case was dismissed because Scott couldn’t prove that he and his wife were owned by Dr. Emerson. However, in 1850, the case was retried, and the jury recalled the Scotts free! Sadly, Mrs. Emerson wouldn’t accept the court’s decision, Scott became a slave, again. Instead of giving up, Scott received assistance from new lawyers and other supporters, and his case reached the U.S. Supreme Court. On March 6, 1857 Scott learned the decision of his case. Roger B. Taney, Chief Justice, revealed, or made previously unknown known, that Dred Scott and his family’s freedom was inevitable, or unavoidable, since Scott was not a citizen of the United States, because of his race. This debate, or a formal discussion in which opposing arguments are put forward was widely heard, …show more content…
His willpower left an imprint on our nation, and Scott continues to stand tall, as a prominent figure in one of the most well-known court decisions in our history, and a long lasting

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