ipl-logo

Impact Of The Dred Scott Case On The Civil War

620 Words3 Pages

The Supreme Court’s judgment in the Dred Scott case acted as a trigger for rising tensions and powered the fires of war that eventually overtook the nation. The main issue was whether an individual of African origin, who was transported into the country, and sold as slaves, could be considered a citizen of the country. The Dred Scott case played a significant role in the lead up to the Civil War by fueling sectional tensions, causing many Northerners to view the Supreme Court and federal government as pro-slavery, and ultimately contributing to the secession of the Southern states. First the Dred Scott case impacted the Civil War by powering sectional tension. Federal government believed and claimed that African Americans, whether they were enslaved or free, did not appear as United States citizens. The Dred Scott case was a period of 10 years where the African American male fought for his freedom through many courts, …show more content…

Many Northerners, specifically Republicans, viewed the Supreme Court’s decision, which denied Scott’s freedom and believed African Americans to be non-citizens of the U.S. as a clear support for the system of slavery. The ruling shocked and angered Northern abolitionists and those against slavery who saw it as a major defeat in their struggle against slavery. Northerners were frightened as they thought that the Court’s ruling disturbed the fragile balance between free and slave states since it implied that slavery may spread to other areas, going against their attempts to stop this from happening. In addition, slave states no longer had to honor the “Once free, always free” rule meaning slaves who were seized to regions were freed- even if they came back to the state of Missouri which is a slave state, but that was opposed therefore, the federal government and the courts could not be expected to provide slaves with any

Show More
Related
876 Words | 4 Pages

According to Bricker Jason, “Dred Scott resided for several years with his owner in Illinois and the Wisconsin Territory, both of which prohibited slavery. Scott later claimed that this made him a free man, and he sued his owner to gain his freedom. The court ruled, “That slaves are property not people, or citizens, and that the Missouri Compromise prohibition on slavery about 36° 30° degree is unconstitutional” ( Edward T 398). The foundation of the division was seemly breaking further because the north felt the decision was in favor of the south, as it furthered their pro-slavery ideology as slaves were seen as something other than humans. Those who opposed slavery called it, “willful perversion of the law.”

Read More
390 Words | 2 Pages

The court case Dred Scott vs. Sanford — 1856 to 1857 — was vital regarding the lives of enslaved or non-liberated African Americans. The outcome of this trial changed the perspective of slaves all across the United States. Rights concerning liberated and enslaved Americans from Africa were declared and enforced in this case. In 1833, John Emerson — a medical surgen of the US Army — purchased a slaved named Dred Scott.

Read More
470 Words | 2 Pages

The Dred Scott Decision made the Civil War unavoidable because of the treatment of African Americans regarding their equality and opportunity. Dred Scott was a slave in Virginia who tried to sue for his freedom in court. The case eventually went to the Supreme Court level, where the justices found that, as a slave, Dred Scott was property that had none of the legal rights of that of a white man. The Northerners hated this decision because it meant that slavery could spread into all territories. This inflamed tensions as the Northerners felt that the South was trying to expand slavery into the free states and would be able to do so.

Read More
385 Words | 2 Pages

The case of Scott vs. Sandford was a major factor in the movement for abolitionist. It empowered the newly republican party, and altered the constitution for the good. Till this day, U.S. colored citizens are now treated like citizens due to the Scott vs. Sandford case. Dred Scott, a slave who was purchased by a U.S surgeon -Dr. John Emerson- who worked for the army, moved together in the Wisconsin territory which was in the northern area.

Read More
1459 Words | 6 Pages

It is a historical inevitability leaded by many different factors. "Dred Scott Case" is one of the most controversial events in American history. Dred Scott was an African American black slave born in 1795. He was taken by his master John Emerson, an army surgeon in the United States of America, from the slave state of Missouri to the free state of Illinois and then to the free territory of Wisconsin. He lived there for a long period of time.

Read More
1614 Words | 7 Pages

Dred Scott, one of the most famous and iconic figures in American history, impacted the United Sates by causing awareness and a voice to not only the free black people living during that time, but slaves as well. Other than Marbury v. Madison case, the Dred Scott Trial declared a federal law unconstitutional, prior to the civil war. The case brought to light a topic that would soon explode-slavery. Many scholars believe that it is what brought the United States closer to the civil war and the case actually inspired the Republican party to rise. Dred Scott’s case was controversial because a slave in his time period had never gone to Scott’s extent to fight for his freedom and it inspired not only slaves, but those who advocated to end slavery

Read More
1873 Words | 8 Pages

In the Dred Scott vs Sandford Court Case, the US supreme court proved this by declaring that black slaves were just considered property and could not sue in court. Dred Scott, an african slave, came with his owner to the Northwest Ordinance during the mid eighteenth century and lived there for two years. However, Congress previously declared that slavery was outlawed within that territory within the Missouri Compromise, as it stated any states above the 36 parallel were free states. As a result Dred Scott believed that he should have been freed and sued his owner till it got to the Supreme Court, where he was declared as just property, not as United States citizen, therefore not allowed to sue in court. “Dred Scott was a negro slave, the lawful property of the defendant; and as to the issue thirdly above joined, we, the jury, find that wife of said Dred Scott, and Eliza and Lizzie, the daughters of the said Dred Scott, were negro slaves, the lawful property of the defendant."

Read More
924 Words | 4 Pages

Scott knew he had to fight for not only his own freedom, but every other colored man’s freedom that put their faith in him. Because of this long journey Scott took, slavery was abolished. Who knew this case would ever turnaround, only time would tell. All persons born in the United States were NOW declared to be United States citizens, signifying that the Scott vs. Sanford case truly reversed the way people viewed the nation. Sadly, Dred Scott’s life came to an end, but he wouldn’t be forgotten after all the chaos the court’s put him through.

Read More
776 Words | 4 Pages

During the early-to-mid 1800s, the North and South had begun to seriously argue on the issue of slavery. While the South were in favor of keeping slavery, the North could not wait to be rid of it. The decision of the Dred Scott case would be known as an important event which would spark the friction between the North and South to rise drastically. Dred Scott, an African American slave, sued for his freedom because he had lived in a free state for most of his time in the United States. In the ruling at Supreme Court, Chief Justice Taney had ruled that because he was an African American slave, Dred Scott could not sue for the reason that Scott was not a citizen and that he was property.

Read More
1810 Words | 8 Pages

The Supreme Court ruled against Scott because the Fifth Amendment protected the property of US citizens, and slaves were considered property. This decision was important because it meant that slavery could be allowed in free states as long as the slaves and their owners came from slave

Read More
756 Words | 4 Pages

Dred Scott was born was a slave in the state of Virginia and was owned by Peter Blow, who died in 1832. Scott only had two masters after Blow’s death; one lived in Wisconsin and later Illinois, both of which prohibited slavery, yet, Scott didn’t petition for freedom. Instead he met his wife Harriet. The two met their new master in Louisiana, who did not grant them freedom, so Scott looked for legal action to escape his slavery. Over a period of seven years, he went through trial and retrial until he was denied his final freedom in 1854.

Read More
871 Words | 4 Pages

However, the northern states argued that slaves weren’t recognized as actual citizens and didn’t hold the right to vote. To settle the debate, the decision was made to count slaves as three-fifths of a person when determining the population of a state. This relates to theme of Politics and Power because it displays how African Americans were denied political participation and had limited rights. Instead of being recognized as a citizen who could vote and participate in politics, African Americans were seen as three-fifths of a person, who had no voice, for the benefit of others. Third, the Dred Scott decision was when an African American slave tried to sue for his freedom after he had spent a long residence in free territory.

Read More
451 Words | 2 Pages

Dred Scott Case was a decision/case that fought for his freedom. Dred Scott was born into slavery, so he didn’t really have a chance to live free. Dred Scott had two different masters, Peter Blow then John Emerson. After the death of his first master, Peter Blow, Dred Scott tried to gain his freedom from a doctor but had gotten turned down because he has African Blood line and then was sold to to his other master, John Emerson. Because he was turned down he had decided to take his case to the Supreme Court.

Read More
980 Words | 4 Pages

They went on trial again in January 1850 and won freedom. They were sent to a lower court and the case was reversed and they were enslaved again. Dred Scott filed a federal lawsuit in Missouri. On May 15, 1854, the federal court heard the case. His family stayed slaves and lost the case due to him not being a citizen.

Read More
359 Words | 2 Pages

In conclusion, I believe the implications of the Dred Scott decision of 1865 was for the status of free blacks in the United States. Dred Scott, the African American slave fought for his freedom in Illinois, but was unsuccessful. The court’s decision rose questions and greatly impacted the status of free blacks. The slaves and the free blacks did not apply to the constitution, and were not recognized as citizens, which rose questions as to what rights they had and did not

Read More

More about Impact Of The Dred Scott Case On The Civil War

Open Document