Dred Scott Fights Til Death

One great civil rights leader I learned much more about was Dred Scott. Scott was born a slave and was sent to be with John Emerson who migrated all the way to the "free lands" of Illinois and lower Wisconsin. Scott was with Emerson until Emerson passed away, that is when Scott asked for his freedom from the widow--who refused. Scott decided to sue them for his freedom in 1846 claiming he had lived in free territory long enough and deserved to be free. This case went from The Supreme Court in Missouri all the way to the US Supreme Court! With two previous "no's" for decisions Scott knew it was his time to get the freedom he wanted. In 1857 the Supreme Court gives him a big N.O. again and later that year they pass the law that slaves can be taken into any state. Scott did not get the freedom he wanted by the time he died, but he will forever be known as the slave that went to court fighting for his freedom. 

 

A Walk Through Harlem!

On the virtual tour, 7th avenue would be the location of Bessie's dental office and their apartment! From their apartment they would be able to see, or at least walk to a variety of churches and even  the building of James Weldon Johnson who supported the Negro Movement; and we even read one of his poems in class! Madam CJ Walker's beauty salon was even close by. Their history then is everyone's history now in Harlem. On the other link I looked more into James Weldon Johnson and his influence on making Harlem famous. He was a writer, poet, and what I found out about he was a statesman. He didn't come from a low-ended family, but he did surpass many African Americans of his time. Him and his brother even wrote what eventually came to be the "Negro National Anthem." That is a huge step for any person, white or black, to do. This is much like Sadie and Bessie because they surpassed many standards already set for them just because of their race, and they made history because of it.