Dred Scott Case

Dred Scott Case, brought before the supreme court of the United States in 1856, was the case of a negro called Dred Scott, who with his wife and two children had been held as slaves by a Dr Emerson in Missouri. After Dr Emerson's death, Scott and his family claimed to be free, as having resided with their owner in a free territory. The decision was hostile to their claim, and they were held to be still slaves. See SLAVERY.