How Did The Dred Scott's View Of Slavery

The Dred Scott decision was a ruling by the Supreme Court of the United States decreeing all slaves to be property. As such, slaves were denied any and all rights given to citizens in the Constitution. Most importantly, the ruling determined Congress did not have the power to prohibit slavery from westward expansion. This ruling created a pivotal point in the moral battlefield of slavery and its place in our country’s history. The decision polarized the population on the issue of slavery resulting in distinctive geographical ideologies. The South felt the ruling ended the issue of slavery completely, while the North felt threatened and helpless to the further spread of slavery. The Western territories felt a rising pressure to determine statehood
He moved from master to master being sold several times. Scott did spend a large period of time owned by Dr. Emerson, an army surgeon. Dr. Emerson moved to Fort Armstrong in Illinois where at the time the state had recently declared itself free. This gave Dred Scott the opportunity to declare himself a free citizen. However, he never chose to pursue his freedom. Dred Scott moved around for years to different army locations with Dr. Emerson until the doctor’s death. After Emerson’s death Dred Scott and his family were left to his wife Irene. After three years of labor Dred Scott asked to buy his families freedom but was refused. Her refusal sparked Scott to sue Irene for his family’s freedom. The result was a lawsuit that went all the way to the Supreme Court. The Dred Scott decision ruled taking a slave into a free territory did not grant him freedom. Thus the time Dred Scott spent away from Missouri did not change his slave status. The ruling also declared black men were not considered citizens of the country, therefore unable to bring a lawsuit. This court decision further stated Congress did not have the power to prohibit slavery in the territories and in turn they ruled the Missouri Compromise unlawful. The ruling dragged the country into upheaval as could be seen on nearly every newspaper headline from coast to