Dred Scott Sesquicentennial

 

Students from St. Louis' Carr-Lane School enjoy the well deserved applause at the end of their special program on the Dred Scott decision. Written, staged, and performed by the students themselves, the dynamic and affecting performance included original music, dance, singing, and dramatic vignettes.

 

One of the most important cases ever tried in the United States was heard in St. Louis' Old Courthouse. Dred Scott and his wife Harriet filed suit against Irene Emerson for their freedom on April 6, 1846. The case went all the way to the Supreme Court which decided the case in 1857, hastening the start of the Civil War. Two thousand seven marks the 150th anniversary of the Supreme Court Decision and Jefferson National Expansion Memorial is commemorating that anniversary with special events and an exhibit.
Click here for the Dred Scott Press Kit.

Images from Dred Scott Commemorative Events.

Special "St. Louis Post-Dispatch" section on the Dred Scott case.

Events
Dred Scott Manumission Day-May 26, 2007
On May 26, 1857, Dred and Harriet Scott, after eleven years of trials and an infamous Supreme Court decision, finally had a reason to celebrate, for on that day St. Louisan Taylor Blow paid their freedom bonds at the Historic Old Courthouse. To celebrate this momentous day, Jefferson National Expansion Memorial is hosting a special commemorative ceremony, recognizing students who have crafted stories about the African-American experience, changes and challenges of the last 150 years.

10:00 AM- 11:00 AM-Carr Lane Performing Arts Middle School, Dred Scott pageant

11:10-11:30 AM – Sarah Fullerton, History Day Performer, with program about Vivian Thomas

11:30-11:45 AM- Emily Hall, History Day Documentary on the Dred Scott Decision

12:00 PM- Nancy Hoppe and Chris Anibal, performance of the Blow Family story

Electronic Field Trip, "Dred Scott: A Legacy of Citizenship"

Dred Scott Commemorative Events, March 3-6, 2007
Click here for images from the Events.

The Dred Scott Case and Its Legacy: Race, Law, and the Struggle for Equality-a Symposium at Washington University. March 1-3

A Legacy of Courage: Dred Scott and the Quest for Freedom; a special exhibit at the Old Courthouse

The Dred Scott Heritage Foundation
A group of community organizations and businesses have come together as Friends of the 150th Anniversary of the Dred Scott Decision, headed by Lynne M. Jackson, a direct descendant of Dred Scott, to plan and coordinate events throughout the year that will commemorate this historic landmark case.
Click here to go to their website.

Dear Mr. Scott Essay Contest
Congratulations contest winners!

History of the Case
Learn more about the case here.

See the chronology of the case here.

Learn about the trials here.

The Dred Scott Courtroom

Learn about Slavery in Missouri here.

Learn about the African American community
in St. Louis at the time here.

Traveling Trunk
To learn about our Dred Scott Traveling Trunk click here.

Trial Reenactments
To learn about our Dred Scott v. Emerson trial reenactments please click here.

Buy Books
Buy commemorative products and books about Dred Scott from the Jefferson National Parks Association store.

Other sites about Dred Scott
See the actual case files on Washington University's Dred Scott webpage.

Learn about the Missouri State Archives' Conservation project to preserve the papers.

See other Freedom Suits filed at the Old Courthouse through the Missouri State Archives St. Louis Branch website.

Read the Supreme Court Decision via the Library of Congress' Slaves and the Courts online exhibit.

 

Winners in the "Dear Mr. Scott" Essay Contest Kenitria Reed, Adisa Nasufovic, and Elmina Tasie with Hon. William Lacy Clay, Jr., Superintendent Peggy O'Dell, Circuit Court Clerk Mariano Favazza, MO Secretary of State Robin Carnahan and great great granddaughter of Dred Scott, Lynne Jackson.