Latest / Sleepy Facts About History
How Did a Missouri Freedom Suit Become the Dred Scott Decision? - Dred Scott, the Missouri Freedom Suits, and the Supreme Court | Sleepy Facts About History
Got something to say to this podcast? Send a voicemail, and you might hear yourself on the next episode!
In 1846, Dred and Harriet Scott walked into a St. Louis courtroom and filed a petition for their freedom. They were using a recognized legal path known as a freedom suit, relying on a Missouri doctrine that held if an enslaved person lived in free territory, they could not be returned to bondage. What began as a localized civil action over wrongful imprisonment traveled for eleven years through state and federal courts, ultimately reaching the United States Supreme Court. Instead of…
The skinny
The skinny isn't ready yet — notes appear once the transcript is processed.