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Dred Scott Trial
Historic Case Sparked Emotions that led to Civil War
One of the most important cases ever tried in the United States was first heard in St. Louis' Old Courthouse, and 2007 marked the 150th anniversary of the historic case's Supreme Court decision. Dred Scott v. Sanford was a monumental ruling that divided the country on the issue of slavery and the resulting verdict is considered the flash point that sparked the country into the Civil War.
In addition to being one of the city's most storied architectural landmarks, the Old Courthouse has played a significant role in the battle for Civil Rights. From the days when slaves were auctioned on the courthouse steps in estate settlements to the two historic slavery trials held in 1847 and 1850, the Old Courthouse reflects the struggle for freedom. The historic building is listed in the National Park Service's "National Underground Railroad Network To Freedom," which recognizes sites, programs and facilities with verifiable associations to the Underground Railroad.
Historic Calvary Cemetery is the final resting place for many historic figures, including Dred Scott and Civil War General William Tecumseh Sherman. Harriet Scott is buried at Greenwood Cemetery, along with an estimated 50,000 of the city's early African American citizens. Local historians discovered her gravesite in March 2006 after an extensive search.
Dred and Harriet Scott are among the more than 100 honorees on the St. Louis Walk of Fame in The Loop neighborhood in University City. The Scotts' bronze star and informational plaque is located at 6647 Delmar Boulevard.
The Case - Dred Scott v. Sanford
Dred Scott was born to slaves in Virginia around 1799 and was the property of the Peter Blow family. He had spent his entire life as a slave, and moved to St. Louis with the Blows in 1830. Blow soon ran into financial difficulties and eventually sold Scott to Dr. John Emerson, a military surgeon. Scott traveled with Emerson to various posts throughout Illinois and the Wisconsin Territory, areas that prohibited slavery as a result of the Missouri Compromise of 1820.
During this time, Scott married fellow slave Harriet Robinson, and the couple had two children, Eliza and Lizzie. Dr. Emerson married Irene Sanford and the Scotts and the Emersons returned to St. Louis in 1842. John Emerson died the following year, and it is believed that Mrs. Emerson began hiring out the Scotts to work for other families. In April of 1846, the Scotts filed suit against Irene Emerson, arguing that Dred had lived in free territories for more than nine years and, therefore, should be declared a free man. Past decisions by the Missouri courts had supported the doctrine of "once free, always free." Because Scott could not read or write and had no money, he needed help with his suit and the Blows, his original owners, helped him finance his case.
The first trial ended in defeat, as the court ruled that hearsay evidence was presented. The judge granted the right to a second trial, and in 1850 a jury decided in favor of the Scotts and declared that they should be free. Two years later, Irene Emerson appealed her case to the Missouri State Supreme Court, which reversed the previous decision ruling that "times now are not as they were when the previous decisions on this subject were made." The court stated that Missouri law allowed slavery and it would uphold the rights of Missouri slave-owners.
In 1854, Scott returned to court with a new team of lawyers, including Roswell Field, and they filed suit against John F.A. Sanford in St. Louis Federal Court. Sanford was Irene Emerson's brother and the executor of the Emerson estate. Because Sanford lived in New York, the case was held in Federal court due to diversity of residence. The suit was heard in St. Louis at the Papin Building, and the verdict was returned in favor of Sanford.
Scott and his lawyers then appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court and the opinion handed down in March 1857, read that seven of the nine justices agreed that Scott should remain a slave. The court also ruled that as a slave, Scott was not a citizen of the United States, and that he had never been free, due to the fact that slaves were personal property.
After the Supreme Court decision, Irene Emerson re-married and eventually turned the entire Scott family back over to the Blow family, who then gave the Scotts their freedom in May 1857. Dred Scott died of tuberculosis in September of 1858 and was buried in St. Louis' Calvary Cemetery.
Updated: February 6, 2008
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