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Perhaps no decade in the history of the United States has been so filled with tense and crucial moments as the ten years leading to the Civil War, and closely connected with most of these crises was the problem of slavery. Enslaved husband and father to Dred Scott claimed in a lawsuit that he lived in the Illinois and Wisconsin Territory at Fort Snelling and rightfully should be considered a free man. His case was tangled in courts for over ten years before making its way to the Supreme Court. Watch the video where professor and author, Eric Foner discusses the historical significance of the Dred Scott Decision. What were the issues that were addressed in Dred Scott’s case and what ruling was made concerning black men in America?
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