The+Dred+Scott+Decision

The United States was heard in St. Louis Old Courthouse. When the first case began in 1847, Dred Scott was about 50 years old.He was born in Virginia around 1799, and was the property, as his parents had been, of the Peter Blow family. He had spent his entire life as a slave, and was illiterate. On April 6th 1846,Dred Scott and his wife filed suit against Irene Emerson for their freedom. For almost nine years, Scott had lives in free territories yet made no attempt to end his servitude. It is known that the suit was not brought for political reasons.