1806- or 7-1857

Provides details of the 1846 lawsuit filed by African-American slave, Dred Scott, who maintained that he gained his freedom when his owner brought him to a free state; and describes the decision made by the U.S. Supreme Court.

Details the various trials of the Dred Scott case and discusses its impact on the issue of slave rights in the context of United States politics and the Civil War.

Traces the history of the landmark Supreme Court decision that defined the rights of slaves in the United States.

An analysis of the political and social ramifications of the Dred Scott decision.