The Dred Scott Case: Testing the Right to Live Free (Spotlight on American History)

Describes the events and people involved in the Dred Scott case and the effect on the nation

Grade 5-8. This case, which took 11 years to conclude, deals with a slave suing for his and his family's freedom based on the fact that they had been taken to live for a time in free territories. Also in question was whether slaves were citizens with the right to present a case in court at all. In this tightly and vibrantly written volume, Fleischner clearly presents the economic and political ramifications of the legal action. A great deal of American history must be explained in order to understand this case clearly, and its step-by-step progress is carefully reported. Each nuance of the suit and its background are analyzed, making the information easily accessible. Full-color and black-and-white reproductions appear throughout. D. J. Herda's The Dred Scott Case (Enslow, 1994) gives more information about the aftermath of the decision, but both books would serve collections well.?Renee Steinberg, Fieldstone Middle School, Montvale, NJ
Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc.

G. 4^-6. Following an opening chapter that sets the stage for Chief Justice Taney's announcement of the majority ruling in the landmark 1857 Supreme Court case, the author goes back in time to Scott's early years, offering a full explanation of the issues surrounding his lawsuit against slave owner John F. A. Sanford, which served to polarize the pro-slavery and abolitionist factions in the U.S. After revealing the court's position--that Scott must remain a slave--she describes Scott's final years, in which his last master, Taylor Blow, quietly set Scott and his family free. Fleischner's clear and concise writing style, coupled with a flair for telling a good story, will keep readers turning the pages to see what happens next. The use of period illustrations and related inset articles provides added background to the case and will be useful for beginning history students. Appended with a chronology, a list of further readings, and a bibliography, this will be welcomed by history teachers and report writers. Kay Weisman