 |
| Civilian |
| 1795-1858 |
| Virginia
|
| Slave |
|
A gifted slave whose name adorns
the 19th century's most celebrated legal case, Dred
Scott claimed his temporary residence in a free state,
Illinois, entitled him to freedom -- after being denied
the right to buy his freedom. In a landmark 1857 decision
that inflamed abolitionists, the U.S. Supreme Court
ruled that African Americans were not entitled to U.S.
citizenship. Later freed, Scott lived only a year after
the ruling. |
