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Birth
Dred Scott is born in Virginia as a slave of the Peter Blow family. He spent his life as a slave, and never learned to read or write. People say his name was Sam, but when his elder brother died, he adopted his name instead. His parents were slaves, but it is uncertain whether the Blow family owned them at his birth or after. -
Sold
Scott is sold to John Emerson a United States army physician.Sometime between 1836 and 1838 Dr. Emerson purchased a wife, Harriet, for Dred Scott. Dred and his wife Harriet were sent to St. Louis were they lived for a long time.