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Supreme Court Case: Dred Scott V. Illinois

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In 1831, a U.S army surgeon purchased a slave, Dred Scott, in the slave state of Missouri. Eventually they moved to Illinois in 1833, which is in the Wisconsin Territory, and according to the Missouri Compromise, Missouri was a slave state and slavery was prohibited north of the 36’30N line so in turn, Illinois was a free state. Scott lived there for four years employing himself with side work while Emerson was away. By 1840, Scott had a wife and a family of two children while Emerson married Eliza Irene Sanford. They moved to Louisiana and then St. Louis before Emerson died is 1843 and left Scott and his family in the hands of Eliza Sanford. The Scotts wanted to become free and they saved until 1846, when Dred Scott sought to buy their freedom but Sanford denied. …show more content…
He argued that he should legally be free because they had lived in Illinois where slavery was banned. The ruling came in in favor for the Scott’s freedom in 1850 but the case had not settled. The court was withholding Scott’s wages until the end of the case, but during which time Mrs. Emerson decided to remarried and pass down all she issues to her brother, John Sanford. Scott expected his wages from Mr. Emerson, but he refused and when to Missouri Supreme Court. The argument for Stanford was taking a person’s property without reason was in violation of the Fifth Amendment and since Dred Scott was an existing slave, Stanford claimed that nor State or Federal law could take the master’s rights. Dred Scott stated that since slavery was forbidden on the designated free lands, he was entitled to freedom when he lived in Illinois and Wisconsin. Scott stated that when a person enters a free territory their newly inherited title of ‘freedom’ tops any previous

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