Dred scott decision 1857 for kids
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- The Dred Scott decision is one of the most controversial court rulings in US history.
- In 1836, a slave named Dred Scott sued for his freedom.
- The US Supreme Court ruled against him, deciding that he who descended from slaves was not an American citizen.
- This decision became one of the causes of the American Civil War.
Slavery
In the past, African Americans in the US were slaves and considered property. Slavery was legal in many states and territories, though some did not allow it. Keep reading to learn more Dred Scott Decision facts.
Slaves had to work for their owners. They had them do whatever they wanted, for example, clean their house and cook their food.
Today people think slavery is wrong because it takes away a human right which is personal freedom.
Read about Triangular Slave Trade
Why is the Dred Scott decision famous?
Dred Scott tried to win his family’s freedom in court.
Although Scott was a slave, he never stopped fighting to be free. He we
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Mar 6, 1857 CE: Dred Scott Decision
On March 6, 1857, the United States Supreme Court ruled people of African descent could not be U.S. citizens, and therefore had no standing in the U.S. legal system. The court also ruled the U.S. government had no authority to regulateslavery in its states or territories. This decision became known as the “Dred Scott decision.” The decision was a severe threat to the lives of Black people, enslaved or not, and a brutal defeat to the anti-slavery movement.
Dred Scott was an enslaved man held in the area of St. Louis, Missouri, United States. The man who enslaved Scott, a doctor in the military, took Scott with him when he moved to Fort Snelling, in what is today Minnesota. Fort Snelling was then in the Wisconsin Territory, where slavery was not allowed. Scott and his wife, Harriet, who was also enslaved, worked in Fort Snelling for years.
Dred and Harriet Scott sued for their freedom after they moved back to St. Louis. They thought they had th
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Home>Landmark Library> Dred Scott v. Sandford (1857)
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This mini-lesson covers the basics of the Supreme Court decision that determined that Dred Scott, having lived in a free territory, was not entitled to his freedom. Students learn about the impact of the Court’s decision, and how it was a stepping-stone to the Civil War. Students also examine the 13th, 14th, and 15th Amendments which overturned the decision, and the black codes that were passed in some states to weaken them.
iCivics ett español! lärling and class materials for this lektion are available in Spanish.
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