All Episodes

October 10, 2017 7 mins
During the "Decade of Crisis" Dred Scott sued for his freedom. Having lived in a free state and territory Scott claimed that he should be granted his freedom. Helped throughout the process by the family of his original owner Peter Blow, Scott had moved through Illinois and the Wisconsin territory, both of which were free. he traveled with his second master's family - the Emersons. Ultimately, Irene Emerson moved to Massachusetts giving Scott to her brother John Sanford. Four years before the Civil War the Supreme Court will rule that Scott is not a citizen of the US and therefore cannot bring suit. The court side stepped the issue.
Mark as Played

Advertise With Us

Popular Podcasts

Dateline NBC

Dateline NBC

Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com

Stuff You Should Know

Stuff You Should Know

If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.

The Bobby Bones Show

The Bobby Bones Show

Listen to 'The Bobby Bones Show' by downloading the daily full replay.

Music, radio and podcasts, all free. Listen online or download the iHeart App.

Connect

© 2026 iHeartMedia, Inc.