Dred Scott was born 1799, although it is unclear where what day he was born. Little is known of Scott's early years, but he was born in Virginia. In 1820 his owner, Peter Blow, took him to Missouri and he was later sold to a U.S. Army Surgeon John Emerson. Scott was taken to Fort Armstrong which was a free state. In 1846, after Emerson's death, he was tempted to try and buy his freedom. But Emerson's daughter, Eliza did not allow it. Scott was frustrated; Eliza continued to treat his family as if they were slaves. So Dred took it to court, but the case was dismissed. So he tried again, and the case climbed through the ranks. Finally, it had made it to the Supreme Court, where Chief Justice Roger Taney had a tough decision to make. Taney, who was pro-slavery, came to the decision that because Dred Scott was black he had no right to sue a white man. Anti-slavery settlers were appalled and mad. This case had become the leading cause in the Civil War. Even though Scott would die a year later, his name will be remembered for years to come.
Sources
Dred Scott Picture http://www.learnnc.org/lp/media/uploads/2009/06/dredscott.jpg
Roger Taney Picture http://hd.housedivided.dickinson.edu/files/images/HD_taneyRB1c.jpg
Information
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/aia/part4/4h2933.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dred_Scott_v._Sandford
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