Dred SCott's tumultuous Background
Dred Scott was born into slavery in Virginia in 1795. In 1820, he was purchased by U.S. Army Surgeon Dr. John Emerson. Scott traveled with Emerson to the free state of Illinois and later to Fort Snelling, located in the free territory of Wisconsin.
By 1837, Emerson was relocated into the South and left Scott and his wife, Harriet, to rent out their services at Fort Snelling. This was a direct violation of the Missouri Compromise and the Northwest Ordinance. When Emerson died in 1843, the Scotts were placed under the control of Dr. Emerson's wife, Eliza. Three years later, Scott attempted to purchase his and his family's freedom, but Eliza Emerson refused. Dred Scott then decided to seek legal recourse.
"In 1857, the Supreme Court's Dred Scott decision had the potential to legalize slavery everywhere in the United States." -PBS