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Dred Scott V. Sanford Case Summary

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Dred Scott V. Sanford Case Summary
Dred Scott v. Sanford came to trial in 1854. Let it be known that Dred Scott was the only case that reached the Supreme Court brought on by a slave against his master (Vandervelde 5). Scott presented the courts with the same arguments and three main questions were brought before the court: 1) As a black man, was Scott a citizen with a right to sue in federal courts? 2) Had prolonged residence (two years in each place) in a free state and territory made Scott free? 3) Was Fort Snelling actually free territory (McPherson)? The central issue had been how residence on free soil affected the legal status of a slave (Garraty 91). Sanford sought to have the Missouri decision upheld mainly on the basis of two arguments. First, they maintained that

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