Dred Scott V. Sandford Case Summary

Known to be one of the most notorious and impactful decisions in American legal history, the Dred Scott v. Sanford case remains a significant study to this day. The case centered around Dred Scott, an enslaved African American, who was purchased by army surgeon, John Emerson, entails a decade-long fight for freedom. In a Missouri court, Dred Scott sued for his freedom, after being taken to territories that had outlawed slavery. After years of legal battles, the case reached the U.S. Supreme Court which questioned whether Scott was entitled to sue in a federal court based on the diversity of citizenship clause of the U.S. Constitution. In 1857, the Supreme Court reached its decision which favored the respondent, John Sandford, by a 7:2 majority. [DRED SCOTT v. SANDFORD, 60 U.S. 393 (1856)] The decision intensified the polarization between …show more content…
These moves were from Missouri, which was a slave state at the time, to Illinois, a free state, and then finally Wisconsin Territory, also a free territory. During this period, Scott met Harriet Robinson, whom he married, and later had kids with. [Dred Scott Decision] In 1838, Dr. Emerson and the Scotts moved to Missouri, and three years later, Emerson passed away. After returning to Missouri, Scott attempted to buy his freedom from Emerson’s widow, but was refused. In response, Scott filed a lawsuit in the Circuit Court of St. Louis County, claiming that his residence in free territories made him a free man. A verdict was made in his favor in 1850, however, it was reversed by the Missouri Supreme Court in 1852, invalidating Missouri’s long-standing doctrine of “once free, always free.” [Dred Scott Case] Chief Justice Roger B. Taney stated about the majority opinion of the Court that Scott “‘had no rights which the white man was bound to respect’” and that slaves were not citizens, but rather property (The Lost Museum

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