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.