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Statue of Dred and Harriet Scott on east side of the Old Courthouse
NPS Photo/Sue Ford
Click on the links below to learn more about people who played important roles in the history of St. Louis and Westward Expansion.
African-American Life in St. Louis, 1804-1865
Learn more about African-American life in St. Louis from 1804-1865. Learn about slave sales, slave life in St. Louis, freedom licenses, freedom suits and emancipations. Learn about Dred Scott, who sued for his freedom from slavery in the Old Courthouse. Explore his life story, the long history of the trials, and the aftermath of the Dred Scott Decision.
Virginia Minor Virginia Minor sued for her right to vote in the Old Courthouse in the early 1870s. Click on her name to learn more about the case.
Thomas Jefferson Biography of the third president of the United States.