Posted by
EFuller on Tuesday, March 06, 2007 10:49:17 PM
Today is the 150th anniversary of the Supreme Court decision in the Dred Scott case. Scott was a slave who had lived in a free state. He sued for freedom in St. Louis Circuit Court, arguing that living in the free territory made him a free man.
After an eleven year legal battle, the Supreme Court denied his claim on the grounds he was not a citizen. The court also ruled Congress had no authority to outlaw slavery in federal territory.
The case is considered the worst decision ever rendered by the Supreme Court. It was an important event leading to the Civil War.
The case should always remind us that Supreme Court Justices are human beings who can make incorrect and damaging decisions. And it reminds not to trust the Court to settle polarizing social issues.