Dred Scott Decision 1857
Who were the key people involved?
The key people involved in the Dred Scott decision of 1857 were:
1. Dred Scott - He was an enslaved African American man who sued for his freedom. Scott traveled with his owner to free territories, where he argued that he should be granted freedom since slavery was prohibited in those areas.
2. John F.A. Sanford - Sanford was a New York businessman and the brother of the man who owned Dred Scott. After the death of Scott's original owner, Sanford inherited Scott and refused to grant him his freedom, leading to Scott's lawsuit.
3. Roger B. Taney - Chief Justice of the Supreme Court at the time, Taney presided over the Dred Scott case and authored the majority opinion. He wrote a landmark decision that declared African Americans, whether enslaved or free, were not considered citizens and had no rights under the Constitution.
4. Robert C. Grier - Justice Grier was one of the nine Supreme Court justices who participated in the Dred Scott decision. He dissented from the majority opinion and argued that Scott should be granted his freedom.
5. Benjamin Curtis - Justice Curtis was another dissenting voice in the Supreme Court decision. He also argued that Scott should be freed and stated that enslaved individuals were entitled to protection by federal law when traveling to free territories.
These were the key individuals directly involved in the Dred Scott case, but it is worth noting that there were numerous lawyers, politicians, activists, and public figures outside the courtroom who played important roles in shaping the public debate and response to the decision.