Dred Scott v. Sandford: A Brief History with Documents

by Paul Finkelman

Perhaps no other Supreme Court decision has had the political impact of Dred Scott v. Sandford . Using a variety of documents that reflect regional opinions and political debates, Paul Finkelman examines the 1857 decision that helped set in motion the events that eventually led to a new birth of freedom and the abolition of slavery in the United States.

Genres: History, American History, School, Reference, Nonfiction, Law

256 pages, Paperback

First published December 1, 1996

About the author

Paul Finkelman is an American legal historian. He received his undergraduate degree in American studies from Syracuse University in 1971, and his master's degree (1972) and doctorate (1976) in American history from the University of Chicago.

Reviews

[Colleen Browne]

Great rendition of the case and the documents are very helpful.

[Thomas Bodenberg]

Finkelman does a great job in setting the complex events leading to this controversial decision. In addition, he presents a summary of the speeches and debates resulting from this decision, all the way up to the legacy of Justice Taney's opinion.

[Derek]

I loved this series of short primary source collections. This one was particularly good and stayed with me. I thought of the book when I later visited the St. Louis courthouse where Scott first filed his legal case.

[Robert John]

By 1840's when the Scott case was just beginning slavery had deep roots in the United States. African slaves were in Jamestown in the 17th century. Blacks were considered property. In 1662 law declared Virginia to be life long. Black slaves in the north worked in homes. Many black participated in the American Revolution. Scott thought he should be a free man because he lived in a free territory. Scott lost his case but 11 years later he was a free man. Lincoln issued his Emancipation Proclamation declaring slaves were free.

[Gil Hamel]

I hope dearly that there is indeed a Hell, so that when I get there I can join the long, long line of people waiting for a turn to beat the shit out of Roger Taney.

[Isabel]

Class book for constitutional history. Lots of documents which made it dense.

[Dusty]

So, this book is exactly what its subtitle says it is: A [Very] Brief History with [Excerpts from Lots of Dense Historical] Documents. I read the book for a graduate seminar on the concept of "black subjectivity," but as I worked my way through sixty pages of Supreme Court opinions, newspaper editorials, Lincoln-Douglas debates, etc., I decided that I wish I had known about the book fifteen years ago, when I was studying for the AP US History Exam. I sometimes felt like Finkelman's introductions summarized the primary documents so thoroughly the overall book felt redundant, but still, it's nice to have all these materials in just one place.

[Sandra]

Serious history.

[Karen]

* Understanding Oppression: African American Rights (Then and Now)

Dred Scott v. Sandford: A Brief History with Documents (Bedford Cultural Editions Series) by Paul Finkelman #slavery