Dred Scott was born into slavery in Virginia. He was owned by Peter Blow who moved to St. Louis, Missouri, around 1830. Dred was sold to Dr. John Emerson, a military surgeon, who took him to free states, including Fort Snelling in Wisconsin Territory, where he met his wife, Harriet Robinson, in 1836. In 1842 the Scotts were sent to St. Louis where they were rented out for service by Dr. Emerson’s wife, Irene. In 1846 they went to court to gain their freedom on the basis of their time spent in a free state and territory. With the legal and financial support of antislavery advocates, including the son of his first owner, Scott took his case as far as the Supreme Court of the United States. In 1857 the court ruled against the Scotts. Though Dred Scott did not win his freedom via the courts, his valiant fight pushed America toward the Civil War and the eventual end of slavery. Dred Scott died only one year after gaining his freedom from Taylor Blow, his original owner’s son.

Unless otherwise noted, text and images © 2007, State Historical Society of Missouri