may 24, 1857 - Dredd Scott Case

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Dredd Scott was a slave who was taken from the slave state of Missouri to the territories of Wisconsin and Illinois. Once he returned back in Missouri, he sued for his freedom on the basis that his temporary removal to free soil had made him legally free. The courts declared that Scott had no right to sue because he was a slave and not a citizen. The verdict ruled that all territories had the right to slavery and only a state could exclude it. The South rejoiced as it was a clear victory for the slavery system.

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