Dred Scott is an African American slave born in Southampton County, Virginia. Dred's real name was Sam, but when his older brother Dred passed away, he decided to use his name. With his masters, the Blow family, he moved to different states during his life, like Illinois, Alabama or Missouri, detail that will be important to explain the turning point of his life.
Dred Scott could not manage to get freed, so in 1846 he suied his master in St. Louis Circuit Court, unsuccessfuly. However, about 4 years later, as new evidences were provided, he was allowed another appearance before the Court, and obtained freedom for him and his wife. Indeed, some of the states that they lived in with their masters prohibited slavery, making Scott's enslavement illegal. That is why in 1850, Dred Scott and his wife were given their freedom by the court.
However, two years later, their freedom was taken away, as they did not sue when they actually lived in the slavery-free states. In 1857, the Scotts appeared in Court again hoping for citizenship, but the Court ruled that African Americans had no claim to freedom or citizenship. Three months later, Scott and his wife were returned to their original owners who freed them, as they had become part of the anti-slavery movement.
Dred Scott's case was a big event that aggravated the tensions between North and South, and that for sure brought America even closer to the Civil War that was right around the corner.
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