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Dred Scott Portrait

Around 1799 Dred Scott was born as a slave in Virginia to owner Peter Blow. After Blows death in 1832 Scott was purchased by army surgeon Dr. John Emerson. Eventually Emersona moved Scott to Illinois, a free state, and then to Wisconsin Territory where the Missouri Compromise had outlawed slavery. While in Wisconsin Territory Scott married Harriet Robinson. Because of the legal freedom for slaves in these areas and Scott and his family having lived there for extended periods of time, Scott rationed that he and his family should be free. After multiple failed attempts to purchase his freedom from Dr. Emersons widow, Scott eventually took his case to the supreme court. The case is known as Dred Scott v. Sanford and resulted in the Supreme Court deciding against Scott 7-2. 3 months after the case, however, Scott and his family were formally emancipated.
Sources: https://www.history.com/topics/black-history/dred-scott-case and https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dred_Scott
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