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Lesson

James Buchanan and the Dred Scott Decision

Duration
50 min
Published
Jun 18, 2021
James Buchanan Democratic Candidate for Presidential Candidate
During the mid-Nineteenth Century, all three branches of the United States government wrestled with the question of whether the unrestricted spread of slavery was protected by the Constitution. In this lesson, students will evaluate President James Buchanan’s reaction to the Dred Scott decision in light of our nation’s highest principles.

Founding Principles

Natural/Inalienable Rights, Equality

Guiding Question:

  • How did President James Buchanan’s response to the US Supreme Court’s decision in Dred Scott v. Sanford (1857) contrast with the United States’s highest principles?

Objectives:

Students will:

  • Trace the events surrounding the Dred Scott decision.
  • Examine President Buchanan’s statements regarding the Dred Scott decision and the spread of slavery.
  • Assess contemporary reactions to the Dred Scott decision expressed in newspaper editorials.
  • Evaluate various statements regarding the institution of slavery, considering to what extent those statements reflect our nation’s highest principles.

Materials

  • Handout A: James Buchanan and the Dred Scott Decision
  • Handout B: Editorial Analysis of the Dred Scott Decision
  • Handout C: Slavery and American Ideals

Lesson Components

ActivityHandout A: James Buchanan and the Dred Scott Decision
ActivityHandout B: Editorial Analysis of the Dred Scott Decision
ActivityHandout C: Slavery and American Ideals
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Lesson plan

50 minClick a phase to open it

More Information

To create a context for this lesson, have students complete Constitutional Connection: Slavery and the Constitution.

Standards

Check whether this resource aligns with your state’s standards →

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