Hoping for Freedom

Hoping for Freedom

Dred and Harriet Scott hold hands in front of the St. Louis courthouse where they first sued for their freedom, and look forever through the famous St. Louis Arch.  While the arch specifically relates to the Louis and Clark expedition and westward expansion, it also represents for many the American Dream...

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Suing for Freedom: The Dred Scott Case

Suing for Freedom: The Dred Scott Case

In March 1857, the Supreme Court delivered a ruling that sent shock waves through the north.  In the Court opinion delivered by Chief Justice Roger Taney, slaves were not considered citizens of the United States and could not sue in Federal Court, but more importantly Congress did not have the authority to prohibit slavery in the territories.  For free labor/free soil advocates in the north, this was a major step backwards in the efforts to contain the spread of slavery. 

Everything centered on one man, a slave named Dred Scott. 

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