Dred Scott

Dred Scott was an African American man who became a central figure in one of the most controversial and impactful legal cases in American history — the Dred Scott v. Sandford decision of 1857.

Born into slavery in Virginia around 1799, Scott was later taken by his owner to Missouri, a slave state. He was subsequently brought to Illinois and the Wisconsin Territory, both of which were free under the Missouri Compromise. Scott lived in these free territories for several years, and after returning to Missouri, he attempted to sue for his and his family's freedom in 1846, arguing that their residence in free territory had made them legally free.

Scott's case moved through various courts for over a decade before reaching the United States Supreme Court. In 1857, the Court, led by Chief Justice Roger B. Taney, issued a landmark decision. The Court ruled that African Americans, whether enslaved or free, could not be American citizens and therefore had no right to sue in federal court. Furthermore, it declared the Missouri Compromise unconstitutional, effectively permitting slavery in all U.S. territories.

The decision intensified national divisions over slavery and pushed the country closer to civil war. It is widely regarded as one of the worst and most damaging rulings in the Supreme Court's history.

After the decision, Scott was manumitted (freed) by the Blow family, his original owners. He lived only a short time as a free man, dying of tuberculosis in St. Louis in 1858.

Dred Scott’s legacy remains a powerful symbol in the struggle for civil rights and justice in the United States.