Dred Scott Case Analysis

In the United States during the late 1950s, two events occurred in which stirred conflict in the union. The North and the South had differing views on the idea of slavery. The North wanted slavery to end while the South did not. The Dred Scott Decision and John Brown’s Raid were two significant occasions where there were disputes between the North and the South. The Dred Scott case concluded in 1857 and the raid on Harpers Ferry occurred in 1859. These two incidents insinuated that a Civil War was going to happen in the next couple of years. The Dred Scott case involved a slave who was held by the slave-owner, John Emerson, in Illinois, where slavery was prohibited. This case became widely known throughout the country during this time period due to the conflict of debating slavery. Dred Scott lived in a region of the United States with his master where slavery was illegal because of the Missouri Compromise of 1820. Missouri came in as a slave state but was restricted slavery above the 36°30' line. The Kansas-Nebraska Act of 1854 came into play which stated that a state would be determined as free or slave by popular sovereignty. However, it partially invalidated the Missouri Compromise. (Bell. “Civil War on the Western Border”).
The North, or those who were anti slavery, believed that this was a heroic action and viewed him as a moral figure. However, others in the South, or people who were pro slavery, questioned his sanity and thought Brown was bloodthirsty and deserved his punishment. (Boyer. “On the Brink of War.”).
The Dred Scott Decision and John Brown’s Raid are both important events that contributed to the disunion of the United States. These two events The issue of slavery spread around the country which made people take sides on whether to support it, or to go against it. Generally, the South chose to push for the expansion of slavery while the North were strongly against