“The Declaration … thus frittered away:” Completing the story of Dred Scott | BRIdge from the Past
How can images in a newspaper give a more complete story of behind a landmark Supreme Court case? In this episode of BRIdge from the Past, Mary explores pictures of Dred Scott’s family in Frank Leslie’s Illustrated Newspaper, v. IV, no. 82, from June 27, 1857. Pictured in the newspaper were Scott’s wife, Harriet, and their children, Eliza and Lizzie. How do these images allow us to understand the historic Dred Scott case on a personal level? What additional questions about the subjects might these images raise?
0:00 Hi everybody. Welcome to another episode of Bridge from the Past. I’m your host, Mary, and this series is all about using primary source images as a starting point to think about important topics in American history and civics. Today we’re looking at an image that goes along with one of the most infamous Supreme Court cases in US. History. Dred. Scott versus Sanford.
0:21 How can this image give us a fuller picture of this landmark case case? Let’s jump in and see. Once again, we’re thinking about how this image from Frank Leslie’s illustrated newspaper in June of 1857 can give us a more complete picture of the Dred Scott case.
0:42 Whenever you have a primary source, it’s important to just look at it and make some observations before you go any further. If you’re using the handout that comes with this video, go ahead and pause here and make some observations of your own. Here are some things that I notice right away. I notice this guy right here, Dred Scott. I think this picture is in every US.
1:03 History textbook. It’s very recognizable to me. I know who he is. What I don’t know is this woman right here. She’s new to me, so I have a question about her. And if I zoom out and come up here, there’s also two young ladies, and I don’t know what their connection is with the Dred Scott case. So I know who this guy is.
1:24 I know I’m in the years right above, right before the Civil War. But other than that, there’s a mystery. So let’s start with what I know. The Dred Scott decision was a landmark Supreme Court case that helped to bring about the Civil War. You can learn more about that case by watching BRI’s homework help video. And you can also read excerpts from the decision itself on our website.
1:45 In short, this case was decided in March of 1857. So again, if I look at my source line up here, I can see that the case was decided a few months before this newspaper illustration came out and Dred Scott, the man down here on the left, sued for his freedom. The court decided that one, African Americans were not citizens and therefore could not sue in court.
2:10 And two, congress did not have the constitutional authority to ban slavery in the States. Those are two whoppers right there. And rather than avoiding a Civil War, the Dred Scott decision only further inflamed both pro and antislavery sides. The lesser known part of this story goes back to this picture.
2:30 Dred Scott was married to this woman right here, Harriet Scott. They met and married while they were both enslaved. They had two children. Zoom in a little bit here Eliza on the left, and Lizzy. Both Dred and Harriet filed for their freedom in Missouri in 1846.
2:51 This is a full eleven years before the Supreme Court heard this case. So often when we hear about Supreme Court cases, we think of the decision or the name of this case, but this image is such a great reminder that there were people, men, women and children, who brought these cases to bear. This family would have gone enormous
3:12 stress and legal costs for over a decade trying to get their freedom. This image appeared in an illustrated newspaper. So I can see up here, illustrated newspaper. I can see that it was published in New York and again just a few months after the decision, the Dred Scott decision by the Supreme Court in March of 1857.
3:32 So if it’s based in New York, this hints at the national outcry over this decision. We often think about how this Dred Scott case was a stepping stone on the path to the Civil War. But it’s also really interesting and important to think about how that decision would have affected Dred Scott, his wife and his daughters on a very personal level.
3:53 After the ruling, the Scott family didn’t find the freedom they sought from this legal challenge, but their courage and determination is really, really admirable. There’s so much more to say about the Dred Scott decision, but now I want to turn it over to you. We started by asking how an image could give us a more complete picture of the story behind the Dred Scott decision.
4:17 What questions do you still have? What did you learn? I’d love to hear in the comments below. While you’re at it. If you learned something, be sure to like this video and subscribe to our channel so you’ll be the first to know about other videos and resources to help you through the school year. I’ll be back soon with another primary source image to help us think about important and complex stories in American history.
4:39 Until then, whenever you see a picture, keep asking questions. See you soon. Take care. Oh, no, the video is over. Oh, come on, don’t be so sad. Don’t you know that the Bill of Rights Institute has tons of videos on American history, government and civics? From primary source document breakdowns to historical image analysis, whether you’re studying for a test or
5:00 just interested in learning more, they’ve got something for you. Oh, well, in that case, I better check out this video. And don’t forget to subscribe so you aren’t so sad again.