Dred Scott (died in 1858) was an enslaved man from Missouri, a slave state. He claimed his freedom in court on the basis of seven years of residence in the free state of Illinois and the free territory of Wisconsin. The case made its way through the court system, finally reaching the United States Supreme Court. This article reports on the court’s decision, with emphasis on the opinions of two dissenting justices. The decision stated that the Missouri Compromise was unconstitutional and that African Americans were not, and never could be United States citizens, a statement which caused great outrage in the North. Anti-slavery leaders cited it as evidence that Southerners wanted to extend slavery from coast to coast and ultimately rule the nation itself. The Gazette & Courier was the newspaper in Greenfield, Massachusetts, from July 20, 1841, until June 24, 1932. Before 1841, the newspaper’s name changed quite frequently, with “Gazette” a frequent part of the title.
Greenfield Gazette and Courier. “The Dred Scott Case.” March 16, 1857. Pocumtuck Valley Memorial Association, American Centuries. https://americancenturies.org/collection/l05-109/. Accessed on October 16, 2024.
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