preview

Dred Scott V. Sandford Case Analysis

Decent Essays

An Investigation of African American Citizenship
Within the United States Constitution as it Pertained to the Dred Scott Case of 1856 In Dred Scott v. Sandford, Chief Justice Roger Brooke Tawney and the Supreme Court ruled in favor of John Sanford because of three factors that were derived from the United States Constitution. Most importantly, slaves are not clearly defined within the United States Constitution. Secondly, the Court found that Dred Scott was, in fact, a slave according to the lack of specific placement of African Americans within the Constitution. Lastly, the Court ruled that Scott was property of John Sanford. To better understand the infamous Dred Scott Case, the background of the situation is necessary information. In 1830, Peter Blow sold a slave named Sam, who would later become known as Dred Scott, to Dr. John Emerson, an army surgeon who traveled often because of his occupation. Dr. Emerson, who took his slave wherever he went, was then ordered by the army to go to Fort Armstrong in Illinois. Illinois was a free territory under the Northwest Ordinance of 1787 and had prohibited slavery in its constitution. In 1836, Emerson was relocated once again to Fort Snelling in the Wisconsin Territory. This area was north of the Missouri Compromise Line and, by the Act of 1820, prohibited slavery. While …show more content…

Sandford case was a major case for the United States of America and the African American population. Even though Dred Scott ultimately lost his battle with the courts, his case was a step toward obtaining rights and citizenship for the Black community. Chief Justice Roger B. Tawney and the Supreme Court ruled against Scott because it was decided by the Supreme Court that, according to their interpretation of the United States Constitution, slaves were not citizens of the United States of America, Dred Scott was, in fact, a slave, and that Scott and his family were the protected property of John

Get Access