The Supreme Court and Dred Scott v. John Sanford
Dred Scott fought for freedom in court after living in free territories. The case ended at the Supreme Court on March 6, 1857.
Chief Justice Roger Taney ruled that African Americans could not be citizens and had no right to sue in federal court.
Taney also declared the Missouri Compromise unconstitutional, removing limits on slavery in northern territories. This ruling stands as one of the worst Supreme Court decisions in American history. The 13th and 14th Amendments later overturned it.
Taney also declared the Missouri Compromise unconstitutional, removing limits on slavery in northern territories. This ruling stands as one of the worst Supreme Court decisions in American history.
The 13th and 14th Amendments later overturned it.
Dred Scott’s Early Life and Movements Between Slave and Free States
Dred Scott was born a slave around 1799 in Virginia. His owner Peter Blow moved to Alabama in 1818, taking Scott with him. Blow moved again to St. Louis in 1830 and died two years later.
Army doctor John Emerson then bought Scott and took him to Fort Armstrong, Illinois in 1833. Illinois had banned slavery in its 1819 constitution.
In 1836, Emerson received orders to Fort Snelling in Wisconsin Territory, where the Missouri Compromise of 1820 prohibited slavery north of latitude 36°30′.
The Marriage of Dred and Harriet Scott in Free Territory
At Fort Snelling, Dred Scott met and married Harriet Robinson, a slave owned by Indian agent Lawrence Taliaferro. Harriet’s ownership transferred to Dr. Emerson, putting both Scotts under one owner.
The couple had two daughters named Eliza and Lizzie. Eliza was born on a steamboat on the Mississippi River between free territories. Though they lived where slavery was illegal, neither Dred nor Harriet tried to claim freedom yet.
Many slaves lacked knowledge of their legal rights or ways to access courts.
Return to Missouri and Dr. Emerson’s Death
In 1838, the army sent Dr. Emerson to Louisiana, a slave state. That same year, Emerson married Irene Sanford in Louisiana. Later, when Emerson went to Florida during the Seminole War, he left his wife and the Scotts in St. Louis.
Emerson died in 1843, leaving all his property, including the Scott family, to his widow. In 1846, Scott offered to buy freedom for himself and his family from Irene Emerson. She refused, leaving Scott with no choice but to seek freedom through the courts.
Filing the First Freedom Suit in Missouri Court
On April 6, 1846, Scott filed a lawsuit for freedom in St. Louis Circuit Court. Harriet filed her own case the same day, making them the first married couple to seek freedom together through the courts. Their case relied on the “once free, always free” rule from earlier Missouri court decisions.
This principle held that slaves who lived in free areas gained permanent freedom. The sons of Peter Blow, Scott’s former owner, paid for the lawsuit. The first trial in 1847 ruled against Scott on a technicality, but a judge granted a new trial.
The Long Journey Through Missouri Courts
In 1850, a St. Louis court ruled in Scott’s favor, declaring him free. Irene Emerson quickly appealed to the Missouri Supreme Court. The state’s highest court reversed the decision in 1852, ruling against Scott.
This overturned nearly thirty years of precedent that had protected freedom gained in free territories. The court’s change reflected growing tensions between North and South over slavery.
Earlier Missouri courts had recognized freedom gained in free territories, but the shifting political climate changed how judges interpreted the law.
Moving to Federal Court as a Diversity Case
Irene Emerson moved to Massachusetts and gave control of the Scotts to her brother, John Sanford from New York. This created a situation called diversity jurisdiction, where federal courts can hear cases between citizens of different states.
Scott filed a new federal lawsuit in 1854. Court clerks misspelled Sanford’s name as “Sandford” in the records. Sanford’s lawyers argued African Americans couldn’t be citizens under the Constitution.
When the Federal Circuit Court ruled against Scott, he appealed to the Supreme Court.
The Supreme Court and Political Pressures
Scott’s case reached the Supreme Court in 1856 during heated national debates about slavery. Five of the nine justices were from southern states and owned or had owned slaves.
Behind the scenes, President-elect James Buchanan meddled with the case. He secretly wrote to Justice Catron about the timing of the decision and pressured Justice Grier to join the southern majority.
In his March 4, 1857 inaugural address, Buchanan hinted at the coming verdict, saying the slavery question would soon be “finally settled” by the Court. The ruling came just two days later.
Chief Justice Taney’s Background and Views
Roger Taney was born in 1777 to a wealthy Maryland family that owned slaves. Early in his career, he called slavery a “blot on our national character” and freed his own slaves. President Andrew Jackson appointed Taney as Chief Justice in 1836.
Over time, Taney’s views changed dramatically, especially about abolition. By 1857, he strongly opposed anti-slavery activism, calling it “northern aggression.” Taney believed his ruling in the Scott case would solve the slavery debate and save the Union.
The Supreme Court Decision on Citizenship
On March 6, 1857, Chief Justice Taney announced the Court’s 7-2 decision against Scott. His opinion stated African Americans “are not included, and were not intended to be included, under the word ‘citizens’ in the Constitution.”
Taney infamously declared that black people had “no rights which the white man was bound to respect.” This meant Scott had no legal right to sue in federal court. Justices Benjamin Curtis and John McLean wrote strong dissents.
They pointed out that African Americans could vote and were citizens in several states when the Constitution was written.
The Ruling on the Missouri Compromise
Taney went beyond the citizenship question to address slavery in the territories. The Court declared the Missouri Compromise of 1820 unconstitutional, striking down a law that had stood for 37 years.
Taney ruled Congress had no power to ban slavery in federal territories. He claimed the Fifth Amendment protected slave owners’ property rights against government interference.
This decision shocked northerners who believed Congress could limit slavery’s spread. It also undermined “popular sovereignty,” the idea that territories could decide about slavery for themselves.
Visiting The Old Courthouse at the Gateway Arch National Park
The Old Courthouse is located in downtown St. Louis at 11 North 4th Street inside Gateway Arch National Park.
Inside, you can explore historic courtrooms where the Dred Scott case began. The building also houses exhibits about civil rights history and the 300+ freedom suits tried there. The Old Courthouse connects to Gateway Arch by a short walk, making it easy to visit both in one day.
Admission is free, though tickets for other park attractions like the Arch tram ride or riverboat cruises can be purchased separately.
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