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Supreme Court Spotlight: Dred Scott v. Sandford

1 minutes 31 seconds

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Dred Scott was a slave in Missouri. From 1833 to 1843, he resided in Illinois (a free state) and in the Louisiana Territory, where slavery was forbidden by the Missouri Compromise of 1820. After returning to Missouri, Scott filed suit in a Missouri court for his freedom, claiming that his residence in free territory made him a free man. After losing, Scott brought a new suit in federal court.

Media Details

Runtime: 1 minutes 31 seconds

Closeup of a woman looking directly at camera as she smiles broadly. Behind her is a background that appears to be a glassed-in entry to a school hallway. Caption. As the Court ruled in 1986.
Supreme Court Spotlight
Episode 1
2 minutes 4 seconds
Grade Level: 9 - 12
Closeup of what appears to be a legal document from the mid-1800s. Paper is aged and handwriting is written in black ink using cursive style from that era. Caption. He used to be recognized as a citizen.
Supreme Court Spotlight
Episode 2
1 minutes 31 seconds
Grade Level: 9 - 12