Scott v. Stanford: A Decision That Would Change the Future
“You don’t have to know a lot of things for your life to make a lasting difference in the world. But you do have to know the few great things that matter, perhaps just one, and then be willing to live for them and die for them. The people that make a durable difference in the world are not the people who have mastered many things, but who have been mastered by one great thing.” This quote was said by John Piper, a well-known preacher and author. Piper gave people hope, just like Dred Scott. Scott survived the herculean battle on the road to freedom. He pled for his family’s withdraw from slavery; however, in the end, he ended up suing his master in a case that traveled all the way up to the Supreme Court. This gave hope and courage to slaves who wanted to stand up to their masters to break their infinite ties to slavery. Scott devoted most of his life to this. He made an ever-lasting change in this world by helping lead the “rebellious South” and the “infallible North” towards the Civil War. All in all, Dred Scott was a simple slave who led a complex life, a man who sued for his freedom, and a hero to the slaves for helping lead the United States to the Civil War.
Dred Scott did not have the same childhood that a child might have today, simply because he was a slave. Dred Scott was born in Southampton County, Virginia in 1785. Scott’s parents originally named him Sam, but he decided to change it to Dred when his older brother named Dred died as a young man (“The Chronology of an Era”). No one knows the exact date and place of Scott’s birth since he was a slave. Not one person would have cared enough to note such details. Additionally, many believed his arrival as nothi...
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...was a brave hero in the eyes of all slaves by helping to eliminate slavery throughout the United States. He did not live to see the Civil War start at Fort Sumter in 1861, but did live a year in freedom. Dred Scott would not have expected the outcome of his case to be the termination of slavery in the United States when he sued for just his family’s freedom in St. Louis’ Old Courthouse. “After the Civil War ended slavery, Scott’s descendants went on to build new lives. Dred Scott Madison became a police officer. In a later generation, John A. Madison became a lawyer who practiced in the very court where Dred Scott had been denied the right to sue” (Hoehner 19). As Brad Henry, the former governor of Oklahoma, always says, “Believe in yourself, and the rest will fall into place. Have faith in your own abilities, work hard, and there is nothing you cannot accomplish.”
FACTS: Respondent, Davis, a licensed LPN for over ten years who also lives with hearing loss applied for admissions to Southeastern Community College. The Petitioner, requested Davis see an audiologist before accepting her to the RN program. The audiologist concluded that Davis required lip-read in order to fully understand audible communication. The school subsequently denied Davis entry, assuming her hearing loss would affect her ability to effective care for patients safely.
The Dred Scott case in 1857 opened doors to the abolition of slavery and it led many to change their view on how America treated slaves. Biddy Mason, being born in 1818, was 39 at the time and was just the right age to see this Dred Scott case take place. Mason saw a new social status of African Americans take place before her eyes and took advantage of the situation. Biddy Mason opened the “First African Methodist Episcopal Church”(P.434) in Los Angeles soon
David Walker was born in Wilmington, North Carolina on September 28, 1785. His father was a slave and his mother a free woman. In North Carolina the law during slavery was if a newborn African mother was free, that child would also be free. This law made it so that every newborn African would be free, no matter the status of their fathers. This was very fortunate for David Walker and his life. His mother passed on to him her free status and she also raised him to have a great opposition towards slavery. It is said that his father had a passed away before he was born, or while he was a young boy. Walker witnessed the brutality and horrors of slavery directly during his travels all over the South. Experiencing this contributed to him wanting to fight against the institution of slavery and its inhumane ways. At the age of thirty years old he moved aw...
Established in 1968, the medical school at the University of California implemented a special admissions program to increase the representation of minorities in each entering class. There was one underlying problem with their special admissions program that was not addressed until 1973 when Allan Bakke submitted his application to the University of California.
The Dred Scott decision involved two slaves, Dred Scott and his wife, who originated from one of the recognized slave states, Missouri, but they were relocated to settle in Wisconsin, a state where slavery was prohibited. In 1846, Scott filed a lawsuit and “sued for his freedom on the grounds that his residence in a free state and a free territory had made him free.” In 1854, Scott’s “case ultimately went to the Supreme Court.” By landing in the Supreme Court, the justices ruled seven to two against the Dred Scott and his wife for multiple reasons. One main reason that the court specified was that whether African Americans are enslaved or not, they were never recognized as citizens of the United States. Therefore, the justices believed that the case should not have been heard or discussed in the Supreme Court to begin with. The second reason was that regardless of any African American being transferred to a free state, does not necessarily change their social status. Thirdly, the Supreme Court ruled that the Missouri Compromise of 1820, a compromise that outlawed slavery north of the 36˚30’ latitude line, is unconstitutional because the Congress declared that they had “no power to ban slavery from any territory.” The decision was critical due to increasing the North population’s unease, and their concern that the South will begin to transport slaves to freed states, which will
Dred Scott v. Stanford is a case in which an African-American man sued for his freedom. In 1833, Dr. John Emerson purchased a slave. He moved to the Wisconsin Territory with Dred Scott, his slave. Slavery was banned there due to the Missouri Compromise. Because Emerson was in the army, he would go away for long periods of time, and Scott would get small paying jobs while Emerson was away. In 1843 Dr. Emerson passed away, and left Dred Scott, Scott’s wife, and their children to his wife, Eliza Irene Sanford. In 1846, Dred Scott attempted to use the money he had earned over the years to buy his family’s freedom from Sanford, but she would not accept the offer. When Dred Scott was refused his freedom, he decided to sue Sanford for his freedom in a state court. His argument was that he was legally free because he had been living in a territory were slavery had been outlawed. In 1850, Scott was declared free, but Eliza Sanford did not want to deal with the case, so she left the Scott family to her brother, John Sanford, to deal with her affairs. During the time of the case, Scott’s wages were being withheld, and he was owed money from Mr. Sanford. He was not willing to pay Dred Scott his money, so he appealed the decision to the Supreme Court. The Supreme Court overruled the state court’s decision, ruling in favor of Sanford.
Virginia, but his hometown was St. Louis, Missouri. His birth name was Sam Scott, but he adopted his older brother’s name, Dred, when he died at a very young age. Dred’s parents were slaves. He and his family belonged to Peter Blow and his family. Dred started his first job, to take care of the Blow children who weren’t much younger than him, when he was four.
Dredd Scott decision was handed down by the Supreme Court in 1857(Johnson). In the simplest terms this decision stripped US citizenship from any Negro, living in any state of existence, free or slave. Also Dredd Scott deemed the Missouri Compromise Unconstitutional (which is one cause of the South succeeding in 1863.)
The Scottsboro boy’s story was a shameful time in the history of the United States. It showed how unwilling the south was to listen to colored people and little they valued their lives. Haywood Patterson even said it was, “one big smiling white face.”
Dred Scott was a slave. His master was an army surgeon who was based in Missouri. In the early 1830's and 1840's, his master and him traveled to Illinois and the Wisconsin territory. It was in 1846 that Scott sued his master's widow for freedom.... ...
Booker T. Washington didn’t know many details about his birth; only that he was born on a plantation in Franklin County, Virginia in 1858 or 1859. Although he knew very little about his mother’s relatives, he knew even less about his father. The living conditions of Washington, his mother and siblings were beyond imperfect lacking windows, a suitable door, flooring and a bed. His shoes were wooden, and his clothes were made of a course fiber that severely aggravated his skin. He had very poor eating habits, and his childhood consisted of all work and no play or education.
Frederick Douglass was the most famous, influential African American known of his era. He was an abolitionist, public speaker, journalist, publisher, human rights and women's rights activist, author, and social reformer. He rose through purpose, wisdom, and eloquence to shape the American nation. Frederick Douglas devoted his life to achieving justice for all Americans, he anticipated America as a wide-ranging nation strengthened by diversity and free of discrimination. Douglass had a vision to live in a world that race and color shouldn’t matter, in a century that this was unrealistic. We must go back in the past of Douglas life and learn of his great accomplishments to how it shaped America today.
The reason why Dred Scott decided to pursue his freedom is unknown, but there are a couple theories. For example, it is believed that “most likely, Scott decided to bring his case to court after years of [talks] with other slaves that had done the same.” (Herda, 30) This shows that, Scott was not an ignorant, uninformed man and had reason to believe he could obtain freedom for himself and his family. This also shows that he took a long look at the issue before making the decision to sue for his freedom. In addition, he may have also been convinced by “several talks with his old friends, the Blows, who were sympathetic to his troubles.” (Herda, 30) This shows that his previous owners, turned friends, the Blows, may have been a major influence; being Scott’s staunch supporters throughout his life. This also shows that the Blows encouragement, on top of other slave’s actions, may have been what finally convinced Scott to pursue the suit for his freedom. In conclusion, several factors convinced Scott to sue for his freedom including the opinion of his previous owners, the Blows. 188
Dred Scott was born as a slave in Virginia. As a young man he was taken to Missouri, where he was later sold to Dr. John Emerson. A military surgeon, Dr. John Emerson moved Scott a US Army Post in the free state of Illinois. Several years later Dr. Emerson moved once again, but this time to the Wisconsin Territory. As part of the massive Louisiana Purchase the Wisconsin Territory under the Missouri Compromise prohibited slavery. While in the Wisconsin Territory and also later in St. Louis the Emersons started to rent the Scotts out as servants. Under several state and federal laws this was an illegal act in direct violation of the Missouri Compromise, the Northwest Ordinance, and the Wisconsin Enabling Act. Scott bounced around from several military posts including one in Louisiana before ending up again in St. Louis, Missouri. After the death of Dr. Emerson, ownership of the Scotts reverted to his wife. Through out 1846 Scott tried several times to by the freedom for him and his family. After several failed attempts he resorted to the legal r...
One of the greatest appeals King used was the connection to President Abraham Lincoln, who had been a key-player in the emancipation of slaves in the late 19th century. Not only was the speech delivered at the capital of the United States, where the Lincoln Memorial stands, but also King alludes to Lincoln’s Gettysburg address in the