Dred Scott Civil War

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FROM FIRST CONTACT TO THE CIVIL WAR Name: Course: Tutor: Date: Introduction The survival of African Americans, whether enslaved or not, during the time between the 1619 and 1860 has been demonstrated to have relied very heavily on their culture and rites as practiced back at home in Africa. These cultural aspects and practices are probably the largest contributors to the extended and eventual emancipation of African Americans from their disadvantaged position…show more content…
They were regarded lowly in the ranks of society and too dull to understand the concept of justice leave alone allowed to seek for it. In addition, there were no legal rights in many of the states for slaves to contest their status as ant-slavery laws were nonexistent. When Dred Scott was taken to Wisconsin, a state that had anti-slavery laws in place in 1857, he decided to contest his slavery in court. Although he won and lost the case upon re-trials and more sittings, the fact that an African American had mustered the courage to request a court of law to grant his freedom changed the mindset of white people and the government. It is perhaps inaccurate to state so, but Dred Scott’s case is considered as part of the reason the Civil War started three years…show more content…
However, during the period before the American Civil War, there was pressure from both the African Americans as victims and some anti-slavery advocates such as Thomas Jefferson. Himself a slave owner, he also felt that the whole idea behind slavery was not in line with the Declaration of Independence as he drafted it. King George the third had been an avid crusade for slavery when the Declaration was drafted and Jefferson made an attack on him for the heartless imprisonment of men, women, and children against their will to go work in other part of the world without pay. However, the need for greater independence from Britain forced the slaves to join the white in battle thus paving the way for their emancipation by Abraham’s Emancipation
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