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Samuel "Dred" Scott born
Born into slavery. -
Dred Scott is sold
Dred Scott was sold to John Emerson (a United Staes army physician). -
Scott + Emerson move to Illinois
Dred Scott and John Emerson move to the free state of Illinois. -
Dred Scott is married
Dred Scott marries Harriet Robinson, a slave of another army doctor. -
Harriet has children
Harriet gives birth to two daughters (Eliza and Lizzie). -
The Scotts move
The Scotts move to Missouri with the Emerson family. -
Emerson dies
Emerson dies and Dred Scott attempts to buy his freedom from Irene Emerson but she refuses. -
Scott + Harriet fight for their freedom
Dred + Harriet Scott allege that their home is in a free state therefore they should be granted freedom. This petition is filed in the St. Louis County Circuit Court. -
Scott v.s. Emerson
Emerson won the trial but Alexander Hamilton provided Scott with a retrial -
Second trial
At the second trial the verdict is in Scotts favor so Irene files an appeal with the Missouri Supreme Court. -
Hamilton denies Irenes petition
Alexander Hamilton was a judge and a North American 19th century Black Activist so he denied Emersons petition to return the Scotts to their enslaver. -
Scott's lawsuit is filed in the United States Circuit Court for Missouri
Scott is sued John Sanford, the new enslasver of the Scott family. -
Scott's case is fought in court
The court rules for John Sanford and is appealed to the Supreme Court. -
The first argument is presented to the US Supreme Court.
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The second argument of the case is presented before the Supreme Court.
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The US Supreme Court decides that freed African Americans are not citizens
African Americans couldn't sue in federal court. Enslaved African Americans were also property therefore, they had no rights. The ruling found that Congress could not prohibit enslavement from spreading into the western territories
