Dred Scott V Sanford

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Dred Scott V. Sanford (1857) 04/26/2015 Dred Scott was born a slave in Virginia around 1795. Scott and his family were slaves owned by Peter Blow who moved to St. Louis in 1830. Later sold to Doctor John Emerson in Saint Louis, Missouri in 1833. Emerson who was a military doctor took Scott to Fort Armstrong, Illinois which was a state where slavery was forbidden. In 1836 he took Scott to Fort Snelling, Wisconsin where the Missouri Compromise of 1820 prohibited slavery. While in Wisconsin Scott fell in love and married Harriet Robinson another slave under Doctor Emmerson. Irene Sanford and John Emerson were married and returned to Missouri in 1838. John Emerson passed away in 1843 and shortly after Dred Scott sued the widow of Emerson for his freedom in the Supreme Court of Missouri. His grounds for filing suit claimed that his residence was in a free state which made him a free man. He lost his suit in the State court in 1847 but was given the right to a second trial. The jury decided that Dred Scott his wife and two daughters should be free. Mrs. Emerson appealed the case as she did not want to lose the Scott’s nor did she want to pay back wages owed. The Missouri State Supreme Court revised their decision in 1852. In the local court Dred Scott sued John Sanford which was the brother of Mrs. Emmerson and in charge of handling her affairs. At this time the courts ruled in favor of Sanford. Dred Scott appealed and took his case to The United States Supreme Court. On March 6, 1857 in a decision of 7-2 the courts decided in favor of the slave owner. Roger B. Taney who was appointed as Chief Justice by President Andrew Jackson, declared slaves were not citizens and could not sue in Federal Courts and that the Missouri Compromise was unconstitutional. The court also declared the rights of slave owners were protected by the 5th amendment it seemed Slaves were the

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