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Understanding the Dred Scott Case: Historical Significance & Legal Implications

Discover the story of Dred Scott, a pivotal figure in the fight against slavery in the US. Learn about the Supreme Court's ruling, its impact on tensions, and the implications for citizenship rights. Dive into the legal complexities of the case and its reverberations in American history.

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Understanding the Dred Scott Case: Historical Significance & Legal Implications

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  1. Friday, March 1st • Learning Intention • Dred Scott • Success Criteria • I can explain the Dred Scott Court Case. • I can explain why the ruling in the Dred Scott case increased tensions in the US. BELL WORK – DO NOW! Explain the Compromise of 1850. Why did the Kansas-Nebraska Act increase tensions in the US?

  2. 3 minute write What do you know about the United States Supreme Court?

  3. The US Supreme Court • Highest court in the US (their decision is final!) • 9 Justices (majority rules) • Justices serve for life • Appointed by President (w/ Senate approval) • Authority to oversee cases between citizens of different states • They interpret the law • They have power of judicial review – they can declare laws to be unconstitutional

  4. The Story of Dred Scott There once was a man named Dred Scott who was born a slave in Virginia around 1795. Later, he was sold to an army surgeon named Dr. John Emerson in St. Louis, Missouri. There, he married a woman named Harriet and had a daughter named Eliza. Dred Scott

  5. His owner, Dr. Emerson took Dred with him on army trips to the free state of Illinois, the free Wisconsin territory, and then they then returned home to Missouri. The slave state, Missouri

  6. Watch Dred’s Journey!

  7. After they got home, Dr. Emerson died and Dred Scott became the slave of Mrs. Emerson, his wife. Dred thought this was the perfect opportunity to buy freedom for himself, Harriet, and Eliza. He offered Mrs. Emerson money in exchange for freeing them. Mrs. Emerson refused and actually gave Dred and his family to her brother, John Sanford, a citizen of New York.

  8. Dred was very disappointed but refused to give up. It occurred to him that since he had traveled through places where slavery was illegal, he should have become free when he was there. Desperate to finally be free, he had a clever idea. He decided to go to court and sue for his freedom, arguing that living in a free territory made him free. Once free, always free!

  9. Dred Scott won his first case, but Missouri appealed the ruling and he lost the appeal. The case eventually made it all the way to the highest court in the land, the Supreme Court of the United States. It was a very complicated case that had the judges scratching their heads. They had three questions that they had to think about… United States Supreme Court

  10. Questions in Dred Scott Case • Can the Supreme Court even decide on this case? Do they have jurisdiction? • Is the Missouri Compromise Constitutional? (Did Congress have the right to ban slavery in some places?) • Is Dred Scott a free man because he lived in a free territory?

  11. Supreme Court & Dred Scott Case

  12. TheDecision • Slaves are not citizens. They cannot sue in court. 2. Missouri Compromise is unconstitutional. Congress can’t decide where slavery can and cannot be. 3. Scott is not free – he is property. (Just like a pair of shoes)

  13. Who gave the Supreme Court decision in this case? When was it decided? 2. What was the premise of the case? 3. What was the ruling of the court? 4. As the result of the ruling, what does the plaintiff have no right to do? Why is this case significant in current times? Rights of citizenship are important to all Americans Chief Justice Roger B. Taney March 6, 1857 Dred Scott wanted to sue for his freedom Dred Scott did not have the rights as a citizen To sue in court

  14. Effects of the Dred Scott Decision Slavery allowed everywhere. North = Angry South = Happy 2. Compromising over slavery is now impossible. People may now resort to violence.

  15. Summary : Effects of the Dred Scott U.S. Supreme Court Decision • Slaves cannot sue the U.S. for their freedom because they are property. • They are not citizens and have no legal right under the Constitution. • Congress could not stop a slaveowner from moving his slaves to a new territory. • Missouri Compromise and all other compromises unconstitutional.

  16. EXIT TICKET Quizizz – Dred Scott https://quizizz.com/admin/quiz/5c78a34ac5d688001dce72e3/dred-scott

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