THE DRED SCOTT DECISION
    Dred Scott was born in Southampton, Virginia in about 1799 his name was simply "Sam." He worked as a farmhand and a handyman. He was the property of Peter Blow as his parents have been. He spent his entire life as a slave. He moved with his master to Huntsville Alabama and later to St. Louis Missouri. In 1831 his owner Peter Blow sold Sam do to financial problems. He was sold to Dr. John Emerson a military surgeon stationed at Jefferson Barracks. Sam and his master went to Illinois and Wisconsin both free states. Sam went with him and they lived there for a long time. After 1836 Sam received permission to marry. He married Harriet Robison a slave in Fort Smelling. They had two children, Eliza and Lizzie who had to work for Mr. Emerson. After that Sam changed his name to Dred Scott.                     
    On April 6th 1846 Dred Scott sued against Irene Emerson, John Emerson's wife he died a few day before. Dred sued for his freedom. For nine years Dred Scott lived in free territory of Alabama and Missouri and made no attempt to end it. Scott sued because a friend in St. Louis who opposed slavery had toll Scott he could sue for his freedom, for the fact that he lived in a free territory for a long period of time. Dred Scott could not read or write and had no money. But John Anderson the Scott's minister he was very influential in their decision to sue. 
    Dred Scott's case was first brought to trial in 1847. The Scott's lost the first trial. But the judge gave them the right to a second trial. The second trial was held in the same courtroom in 1850. The jury heard the evidence and said that Dred Scott and his family were to be freed.     
    Mrs. Emerson did not want to lose the Scott so she appealed her case to the Supreme court in Missouri. In 1852 the Supreme court said the ruling made in the old court house was to be disgorged. But Dred was not ready to give up his fight for freedom for hem and his family. With the lawyers in Missouri who hated slavery, Dred Scott went to St. Louis Federal court in 1854 on March 6th 1857 chief Justice Roger B. Toney delivered the majority opinion of the nine men said Scott is to remain a slave. But Toney did not stop there, no he also said a slave was not aloud to sue the Federal Court. 
    After that Dred Scott's owner sold him and his family to Mr. Chaffee. Who later sold then back to his old master's the Blow's. Who in 1857 gave Dred Scott and his family their freedom. On September 17, 1858, Dred Scott died of Tuberculoses and they buried him in St. Louis. Dred Scott lived to gain his freedom.
                                                                  BIBLIOGRAPHY  
    Gale-Free Resources    Dred Scott   (http://www.galegroup.com/free resources /bhm/bio/Scott d.htm)      5/9/05
    The History Place     The Dred Scott Decision (http://www.historyplace./Lincoln/Dred.htm)       5/5/05
    Dred Scott Decision     The Dred Scott Decision     (http://americancivilwar.con/colored/dred_scott.html)     5/5/05    
                    Joseph VanderPutten 
                    8th Grade American History  
                    2005 Project