Armed with new lawyer the Scotts made it to the US Supreme court. The significance of this case was apparent when two powerful lawyers joined Sanford’s team. Henry Geyer was not only a senator, but a powerhouse in the legal community in Washington, which made him a hard person to go up against. The other powerhouse of the team was Reverdy Johnson. Like Geyer, Johnson was also a senator as well as the Attorney General for the state of Maryland. Having two senators as legal representatives proved just how important politically it was for Sanford to win.
Two senators, plus the fact that nobody but Montgomery Blair and George Curtis were willing to represent the Scott family put them at a disadvantage. Another detriment against the Scott family…show more content… Having exhausted all of their legal options, the Scotts returned to their lives enslaved and defeated. Luckily the influence of Irene’s husband Dr. Chaffee the deeds for the Scott family were transferred to the Blow family, who than freed the Scott’s on May 26, 1857. A little over a year after obtaining his freedom Dred Scott Died of Tuberculosis on September 17, 1858.
The influence and impact of this case has created lasting effects, even to this day. In 1863 President Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation proclamation which made slavery illegal; in 1865 the 13th amendment was passed permanently abolishing slavery completely; and in 1868 the 14th amendment was passed giving African Americans citizenship. The 14th amendment is what eventually led to the reversal of the Dred Scott vs Sanford decision. Dred Scott’s persistent pursuit of freedom and justice helped pave the way to freedom for…show more content… These examples of blacks at the hand of the American law system has spanned over decades, yet the results yielded are all similar. John Punch’s case flagrantly displayed the color of your skin determined how harsh your punishment was. If you were black it was almost a guarantee you would endure a much harsher sentence, then the person of lighter complexion. In the Dred Scott case the inconsistency in the courts really came to light. Each level of court illustrated how laws were viewed as strong suggestions left to interpretations, instead of a concrete rules meant to be enforced. Scott vs. Sandford also magnified the tension between those states that were pro slavery and states that were anti slavery. The verdict ignited abolitionist to amplify their quest to end slavery, this also inflamed the passion of those that wanted to see slavery prevail. The two sides were so charged up in their beliefs and making sure what they believed in was the way of the land that it came to a head in the civil war. Despite the impact that the Scott vs. Sandford case had on the shaping of some of the American laws, it had little to no impact of the Judicial system. This is evident today in so many examples, but especially in the case of Kalief Browder. Most African Americans that are arrested today, similar to Browder, have lost their case before they every step foot in front of a judge. Unless there is an
