Dred Scott v. Sandford

High school (ages 12+)
History & Culture

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/dred-scott-v-sandford

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the case name?Dred Scott v. Sandford
2. What is the year of decision?1857
3. What was the Dred Scott case about?Dred Scott was an enslaved man who moved between slave states and free territories. He sued for his freedom, but the Supreme Court said he was not a citizen and could not sue in federal court.
4. Why did the Supreme Court decide against Dred Scott?The Court said people of African descent were not citizens and that slavery was protected property. Because of this, they could not be taken to free territories.

Judicial Activism: When judges make rulings that go beyond interpreting existing law to create new legal precedents.
Diversity of Citizenship: A legal principle allowing federal courts to hear cases between citizens of different states.
Missouri Compromise: A legislative agreement that prohibited slavery in the northern territories of the Louisiana Purchase.
Secession: The formal withdrawal of a state from a federal union or alliance.