Citizen or Slave: The Dred Scott Decision, 1857

by Matthew Pinsker (Introduction), James G. Basker (Editor), Justine Ahlstrom (Editor)

The constitutional legacy of the Dred Scott case has been long lasting. What started as a “freedom suit” filed by Dred Scott and his wife in the St. Louis Circuit Court in 1846, erupted into a U.S Supreme Court case that ended in 1857. Read about the case details and political consequences surrounding one of the most infamous court decisions of our time. This booklet also includes a timeline of important dates.

35 pages, Paperback

Published January 1, 2009

About the author

Matthew Pinsker holds the Pohanka Chair in American Civil War History and is director of the House Divided Project at Dickinson College in Carlisle, Pennsylvania.