The Dred Scott Decision Flashcards
Who was Dred Scott?
A slave. He was owned by Dr Emerson
Where was Dred Scott born?
Virginia - a slave state.
Where did Dr. Emerson spend much of his career?
Illinois, where slavery was banned.
How did Dred Scott try to get his freedom?
After he failed to purchase his freedom, he sued for his freedom in court.
What was the basis of Dred Scott’s case?
Dred Scott argued that he had lived in a free state (Illinois) and that made him a free man.
In which state did Scott first try to sue for his freedom?
Missouri (a slave state)
Dred Scott’s case went to the highest court in the USA. What was this court?
US Supreme Court
What was the decision of the US Supreme Court?
The court decided that Scott was still a slave, even though he had lived in a free state.
Why might Justice Roger Taney (a Supreme Court judge) have been biased?
Taney once owned slaves.
Why did the Supreme Court decide that slaves could not sue in a federal court?
They were not citizens of the United States.
What did the Supreme Court decide about the legal status of slaves?
They were property, not people.
What was the main outcome of the Dred Scott decision?
Slave owners could take their slaves anywhere in the United States. The slaves would remain slaves, even in a free state.
