Dred Scott Argumentative Essay

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While both black and white people fought over segregation versus desegregation, black people defended their freedom and civil rights while white people focused on isolating black people and treating them as under classed. The Missouri Compromise of 1820 banned slavery in some states and allowed slavery in other states. With the Missouri Compromise, Maine entered as a free state while Missouri entered as a slave state. The Missouri Compromise also drew a line across the United States that split the nation in half. States to the south of the line were slave states while states north of the line were Free states. This kind of separation between the North and the South was the beginning of the upcoming Civil War. This important change in the United …show more content…

He was taken to the free state of Illinois and then to the free Territory of Wisconsin. Between 1834 and 1838, Dred Scott lived on free land while remaining enslaved by John Sanford. John Sanford was the slave owner of Dred Scott. Dred Scott sued John Sanford for his freedom while in the free land. Dred Scott argued that since he had lived several years in a free state and several years in a free territory, he should be free. With the help of abolitionists, Dred Scott’s case reached the Supreme Court. At this time, Roger B. Taney was the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court. In a 7-2 decision, the Court ruled against Dred Scott, and in favor of John Sanford. The Court stated that temporary residence in a Free State or territory did not make Dred Scott free. It is said that Dred Scott was John Sanford’s property, not a citizen, and therefore had no right to sue in the Court. It is further reasoned that no African American could be a citizen. The Court also ruled that Congress does not have the power to ban slavery from any territory because doing so would take away slave owners' property. Therefore in this case, the Missouri Compromise was considered

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