Abstract The paper relates that the Dred Scott case emerged during the fight between Northern and Southern states on the subject of slavery in the 1856 presidential elections. The paper describes the case and shows how in each court, including the Supreme Court, the ruling favored the owners. The paper discusses how unfortunately for Dred Scott, he could never become a free man. But, the paper explains, that his efforts did not go in vain as his case accelerated the debate on slavery and he became a symbol of struggle for freedom for the black people in the U.S.
From the Paper "Scott was born to slave parents and lived with his owners in St. Louis, Missouri. He was later sold to Dr. John Emerson around 1833 and since Emerson was a military officer, he would travel all over the country frequently. During his time with the new owner, Scott lived for long period of time in various cities such as Fort Armstrong, Illinois, Fort Snelling, Wisconsin Territory, Fort Jessup, Louisiana, and St. Louis. While some states had legalized slavery, Illinois was a free state and if Scott could prove his resident status, he could win his freedom. Scott decided to fight to become a free man and from 1846 till a decade later, his struggle continued and even reached the highest court of law in the United States."
Abstract This paper begins by describing Dred Scott's quest for freedom and the potential impact of the case rulings. The paper shows why Scott believed he should be free and this belief eventually led to a lawsuit against Scott's new owner, John F.A. Sanford. The case was finally brought up in the Supreme Court. The paper shows how the decision of Chief Justice Taney determined the case's outcome - and the fate of the United States.
From the Paper "Dred Scott was a Virginian slave born at the turn of the 19th century, who felt that he had a right to freedom for having lived in free territories for an extended period of time. He, in the debate about whether or not he deserved his freedom, would be the cause of many troubles before the Civil War in the United States. His case and press for liberty were extremely complex, and the Supreme Court's response was rather typical of its era. Nevertheless, the decision was immensely important as it sealed the fate of the Civil War, angering northerners and pleasing southerners, and consequently further dividing the country. In this case Chief Justice Roger Taney delivered several rulings made on what were considered to be facts regarding equality."
Abstract This paper examines the facts of the Dred Scott vs. Sanford decision, including an in-depth review of the facts of the case and a legal analysis of the majority opinion. The paper also discusses the dissenting opinions in the case and takes the position that Chief Justice Taney, in writing the decision, was justified in ruling in the way he did.
From the Paper "Certainly one of the most controversial and well-known Supreme Court decisions in the history of the United States is the case of Dred Scott v. Sanford. Historians and legal scholars have debated this decision for over a century and many have taken an increasingly negative view of Chief Justice Roger Taney. Some view the decision as one of the major causes of the War Between the States. This paper examines the history of Dred Scott's case and provides an analysis of both the majority and the minority opinions in the case. After an in-depth analysis of the case as well as its historical context, we are left with the conclusion that Chief Justice Taney's majority opinion in Dred Scott v. Sanford is merely a reflection of the way in which he interprets the Constitution and is not the legal and moral outrage that historians and modern jurists claim it to be."
Tags: civil, compromise, court, lincoln, missouri, sanford, supreme, taney, war
Abstract This paper looks at two different aspects of the evolution of African-American Social/Ethical thought: the Dred Scott decision and reaction to it, and the work of Sojourner Truth on antislavery and women's rights issues.
From the Paper "The Dred Scott case was one which had a major impact on bringing the nation nearer to war. Mullane Dred Scott was a slave owned by army surgeon Dr John Emerson and accompanied him when he left his Missouri home to spend several years in Illinois and the Louisiana Purchase Territory, now Minnesota. Illinois at the time was a free state under the Northwest Ordinance as was the Louisiana Purchase Territory, but according to the terms of the Missouri Compromise, Missouri was a slave state..."
Abstract The paper explains two landmark decisions of the U.S. Supreme Court: the Dred Scott v. Sandford, and Plessy v. Ferguson decisions. The paper examines how these decisions institutionalized racism by giving the white majority the power to marginalize and discriminate against Black Americans.
From the Paper "Today's judicial atmosphere has never been more charged. As the Supreme Court ages and the Senate debates the use of filibusters to stall judicial nominees, it is important to understand the power that Supreme Court Justices wield in their lifetime appointments. There are perhaps no better examples of the Supreme Court's ability to make pernicious decisions than their landmark decisions to institutionalize racism in the Dred Scott vs Sanford and the Plessy vs Ferguson decisions."
Abstract The paper discusses Dred Scott, one of the most significant figures of African- American history. The paper relates that Scott's first trial began in 1847, after which he continued to fight for his freedom and continued until nine months before his death. The paper states that this is significant not only in terms of African-American history, but also in terms of its influence on the country as a whole and continues to be influential in the country even today.
From the Paper "In terms of the war being fought in Iraq, the country is similarly deprived of its critical thinking skills. Grave injustices in the war-torn country are ignored or accepted as necessary sacrifices in the name of "preserving" the American way of life. Historical events such as the Dred Scott case should serve as historical lessons in critical thinking and in preventing history from repeating itself. However, Americans appear to be unable to learn from history or to prevent their emotions from overriding their reason. This lack of critical thinking is what keeps arrogant and unconstitutional leaders such as Judge Taney and current leaders such as John Ashcroft in position to infest the United States with unconstitutional rulings."
Abstract The paper explores how the Mexican-American War, the Kansas-Nebraska Act, the Dred Scott decision, the Lincoln Douglas Debates and the Freeport Doctrine all influenced the coming of the American Civil War. The paper also discusses the military campaign in the Western theater of the war from January through June of 1862 and provides a brief outline of the generalship of Robert E. Lee and George B. McClellan.
Outline:
The Relationship Between the Mexican-American War and the Coming of the American Civil War
The Relationship Between the Kansas-Nebraska Act and the Coming of the American Civil War
The Relationship Between the Dred Scott Decision, the Lincoln Douglas Debates, the Freeport Doctrine, and the Coming of the American Civil War
The Military Campaign in the Western theater of the War from January through June of 1862
Generalship of Robert E. Lee and George B. McClellan
From the Paper "The Civil War represented one of the most important parts in the history of the United States. It was the essence of the American struggle for democracy as well as for the national identity and unity that would eventually emerge after its end. The premises of the war revolved around the issue of the Texan territory. Thus, the early connections were established "at the invitation of a Mexican government that had just won its independence from Spain. However, by 1830, Mexico was alarmed at the influx of a population alien in language and culture, suspect in political allegiance, and committed to slavery in defiance of Mexico's recent abolition of the institution" (McPherson, 2001) Therefore, what started as a limited relationship came to be seen as a possible threat."
Tags: Mexican-American, War, Kansas-Nebraska, Act, Dred, Scott, Lincoln, Douglas, Debates, Freeport, Doctrine, McClellan, Lee
Abstract This paper discusses U.S. history from 1855, when the U.S appeared to be the strongest it had ever been, to the outbreak of the Civil War, when Abraham Lincoln was elected President in 1860. The author points out the "Bleeding at Kansas", Dred Scott case, Slavery and the citizenship of "free slaves". The paper describes the election of 1860 and the secession of the Southern states.
From the Paper "By the time the elections of 1860 came around, the entire nation knew how vital this election would be to the tone of relations between the North and the South. Citizens were not sure whether the election could calm the fights, and resolve what had been happening in the past five years, or if the election would cause an all-out war between the North and the South. Stephen Douglas apparently warned that such actions might occur, while Abraham Lincoln and John Breckinridge "downplayed any such dire consequence, insisting, and believing, that the other side was bluffing" ."
Abstract The paper explores the issue of slavery and focuses on the most important decisions involving the civil rights of African Americans in the U.S., including the Dred Scott decision, the Supreme Court's "Plessy v. Ferguson" case, the "Brown v. the Board of Education" ruling as well as the 14th Amendment. The paper attempts to show what these decisions meant to the lives of African Americans.
Outline:
Introduction
Understanding Slavery both Then and Now
The Dred Scott Decision
The Civil War and Its Aftermath
The 14th Amendment
Plessy v. Ferguson
From the Paper "Slavery, for obvious reasons, still exists in the world today. The tasks that enslaved people are forced to perform have shifted as the needs of the owners have changed, but the aberrant and disturbing practice continues. Not unlike when Africans were brought to the U.S. and forced to work, in both cases against their will, the impoverished countries were not providing training for future slaves. People were abducted because the possessed the abilities that were desired. Understanding the African-American experience requires understanding that tasks were forced upon slaves who labored on plantations for multiple reasons."
Abstract This paper discusses the effectiveness of Abraham Lincoln's presidency and his interactions with Congress during the Civil War. The author explores how Lincoln steered the nation rather moderately over the conflict and presents his views on the South's secession and slavery.
From the Paper "The Republican Party emerged from the ashes of the Whig Party and the confused flurry of new political parties attempting to fill the void of an alternative political party to the Democrats during the 1850s. In its formation the Republican Party absorbed many former members of other political parties, especially Whigs, Free-Soilers, Know-Nothings, and Northern Democrats, which resulted in the creation of a broad party platform."
Abstract The paper presents a history of the African American struggle starting in the 1850's with the case of Dred Scott. It continues by explaining the status of African Americans during and after the civil war. The paper documents how, in the 1940's and 1950's, African Americans began to challenge the injustices they faced, particularly with regard to education. The paper continues to the 1960's with the rise of the Black Panther Party (BPP) and the Nation of Islam. The paper focuses on the aims and methods used by the BPP and how the FBI tried to discredit the BPP and other Black revolutionary organizations.
From the Paper "In 1954, the Supreme Court legitimately struck down the "separate but equal" doctrine of Plessy v. Ferguson in its Brown v. Board of Education decision, which ruled that separate educational facilities were intrinsically unequal. Some areas readily embraced integration after Brown, while others submitted only after further prodding from the courts. School administrators rapidly realized that they faced many problems, such as increased violence and increased discrepancy in the abilities of students in the same classroom."
The paper examines the history of slavery in the United States as well as the civil rights movement and important events and people that have helped shape the nation into what it has become today.
Abstract The paper analyzes the important Dred Scott case of 1857, in which the Supreme Court gave the ruling that a Negro could not become a citizen of the United States and how it led to several Amendments being added to the Constitution. The paper discusses important court cases that affected the civil rights movement and mentions the role played by personalities such as Martin Luther King and Malcolm X.
From the Paper "Indeed, a change that was long needed in a country torn apart for years. The civil rights movement is responsible for much more than freedom for African-Americans. It recognizes the ability that a nation can overcome its problems. It demonstrates the power of the people and it show the government and the citizens as well, that change is possible, however long it may take sometimes to get it. The civil rights movement is definitely a reminder of the pain that America carries in her past, but it can also be seen as a ray of hope for anyone who feels oppressed. The fight for freedom includes not only African-Americans, but other minorities as well, and more than anything, the fight for freedom should be seen as something that can be won."
Abstract James M. McPherson, in his book "Battle Cry For Freedom", explores the political and military history of the Civil War by tracing the roots of the dispute between the North and the South over the institution of slavery. The paper shows how McPherson argues that while the Union held significant advantages over the Confederacy, the outcome of the war was far from guaranteed or predictable. It concludes that the book is one of the best books available among thousands on the American Civil War. The paper includes a book report outline.
From the Paper "After a solid reading of Battle Cry for Freedom: The Civil War Era, several unexpected discussions by McPherson came to light. He discusses several possibilities in regard to how the war might have ended if the South had been victorious and if several key battles and events had turned out differently. For instance, if General George Meade had not effectively countered Robert E. Lee at Gettysburg, the Confederate army might have successfully invaded Philadelphia, Baltimore or even Washington, D.C. Another scenario concerns the prospect that if William Tecumseh Sherman had not conquered and
burned Atlanta in the fall of 1864, Abraham Lincoln might have lost his bid for re-election and the Democrats would have likely supported and recognized the Confederacy as a separate entity which would have divided America into two independent nations."
An examination of three documents from the Antebellum era (1820 to the beginning of the Civil War in 1865), which present the social, as well as legal, perspective that slavery was beneficial.
Abstract This paper summarizes three documents, which explain the social and political feelings of this era. It shows that the first is an article by a prominent doctor, Dr. Samuel Cartwright, entitled, "Diseases and Peculiarities of the Negro Race". It was his purpose to validate the ownership of slaves as a means of providing shelter and industry to a race handicapped to such a degree that it could not prosper on its own. It then explains that the second document is the opinion of Justice Taney in the "Dred Scott v. Sanford" case of 1857. Here, it is legally determined that blacks of the pre-Civil War era do not have the rights of an American citizen. Finally, it discusses the third document, which is a speech presented to the United States Senate on March 4, 1858, by James Henry Hammond, wherein he argues that the black race is a slave race through natural law. All of these documents were written in the belief that slavery was a legitimate social institution based on the inferiority of the black race.
From the Paper "The Southern plantation system was socially and economically dependent on slave labor to continue. The chattel slave was owned and had absolutely no rights, including the right to life, that was not controlled by the owner. The plantation owners did not consider slave labor to be 'free' inasmuch as the care and upkeep of the slaves was their responsibility.
In the 1840's a physician, Samuel Cartwright, created a psychiatric diagnosis called "drapetomania? that was specific to slaves - most notably found among freed slaves. The disorder was characterized by "a partial insensibility of the skin, and so great a hebetude of the intellectual faculties, as to be like a person half asleep, that is with difficulty aroused and kept awake. It differs from every other species of mental disease, as it is accompanied with physical signs or lesions of the body discoverable to the medical observer, which are always present and sufficient to account for the symptoms" (Internet source). The diagnosis is, of course, specific to the times. It was a way that the institute of slavery could be rationalized - by 'blaming the victim' - for the natural reactions to an unnatural situation."
Abstract This paper explains that the question of whether or not to admit new states as slave-holding or free states had a direct bearing on political representation of states in Congress. The author points out that the southern slaveholding states, fearing political disenfranchisement, wanted new states to be admitted as slaveholding ones thus having more sympathizers in Congress; however, the abolitionist movement was growing stronger and more vocal, especially in the North. The paper examines the Northwest Ordinance, the Missouri Compromise, the Fugitive Slave Law, the Dred Scott case, Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation and, later, the 13th Amendment to the Constitution, which ended the practice of slavery in the United States; however, sectionalism divided North and South for many decades after the end of the Civil War.
From the Paper "The first territory from the Louisiana Purchase lands to be admitted to the Union was Missouri, in 1818, immediately brining to light the deepening rift between southern and northern sentiments. Missouri was being settled largely by slaveholding southerners, residents who hoped that the state would be admitted without any provisions restricting slavery within its borders. To their consternation and that of other Southern states, Northern Congressmen in the House of Representatives helped passed a bill that would admit Missouri as a free state. The bill failed to pass in the Senate. The crux of the free state/slave state issue was congressional representation: before Missouri was admitted to the Union, the number of slave states and free states was equal. To preserve the balance of power between slaveholding and free states, Congress needed to compromise."
