Dred Scott and Fort Snelling: How Minnesota Shaped the 1857 Supreme Court Decision
The Dred Scott Supreme Court decision of 1857 remains one of the most infamous rulings in American history, declaring that Black people were not U.S. citizens and striking down the Missouri Compromise. What many Americans do not realize is that Scott once lived at Fort Snelling in present-day Minnesota while enslaved by an Army surgeon. His time in free territory became central to the legal argument for his freedom. Although the Supreme Court ultimately ruled against him, the case intensified the national slavery debate and helped push the country toward Civil War. Scott’s Minnesota connection underscores how deeply this pivotal case is rooted in local as well as national history.
Scott once lived at Fort Snelling in present-day Minnesota
The controversial Dred Scott case of 1857 is one of the most infamous legal decisions in U.S. history, a landmark moment in the national debate over slavery. Few realize that Scott once lived at Fort Snelling in St. Paul, in present-day Minnesota.
The Supreme Court decision on Scott determined that Black people could not be U.S. citizens, and therefore had no right to sue in federal court. The majority opinion, written by Chief Justice Roger B. Taney, became a flashpoint in the national slavery debate.
The events leading to the case began in the early 1830s. Scott, a slave from St. Louis, was sold to Dr. John Emerson, a civilian doctor who in 1833 received a U.S. Army appointment as assistant surgeon. Later that year, Emerson was assigned to Fort Armstrong at Rock Island, Illinois, where he served until May 1836.
“Dred Scott came with Emerson as his valet,” said Virgil Mayberry of Rock Island, an authority on Black history. “That’s what they were called at times, rather than slaves. He was illiterate, but he was not dumb. He assisted Emerson with surgery, among other things.”
Two factors should have entitled Scott to his freedom. Not only did the Northwest Ordinance of 1787 prohibit slavery between the Great Lakes and the Mississippi and Ohio rivers, but slavery was also barred under the Illinois Constitution. However, Scott did not sue for his freedom, for reasons that remain unclear.
While most sources report Scott as an Illinois resident, Mayberry disputes that claim based on his own research. “Dred Scott actually built a log cabin and homesteaded a piece of property near the I-74 bridge, in what is today Bettendorf, Iowa,” said Mayberry. “Emerson owned the land, and Scott was farming it for him. I don’t know that Dred really ever lived in Illinois.”
Bettendorf is one of the communities that make up the Quad Cities region, divided by the Mississippi River, which includes Rock Island and Moline, Illinois, and Davenport, Iowa.
Emerson was later assigned to Fort Snelling in the Wisconsin Territory until October 1837, a territory governed by the Missouri Compromise of 1820, which prohibited slavery north of 36°30′. Again, Scott did not pursue his freedom. While at Fort Snelling, he met and married Harriet, another enslaved person.
Emerson received assignments back to St. Louis and later served in Louisiana and Florida. He was also briefly sent back to Fort Snelling, accompanied by the Scotts, though they did not travel with him on every assignment. Emerson was discharged in August 1842, settled in Davenport, and died the following year.
In 1846, Dred and Harriet Scott filed separate petitions in St. Louis Circuit Court against Emerson’s widow, Irene, whom he had married in 1838, seeking their freedom based on their past residence in free territory. The Scotts signed their petitions with an “X” and were supported by descendants of the Blow family, which had sold Dred to Emerson.
Despite favorable precedents, courts ruled for and against the Scotts over more than a decade. The case eventually advanced to the U.S. Supreme Court. On March 6, 1857, the Court ruled that Black people were not American citizens and had no right to sue. Scott’s claim to freedom based on residence in a free state was also denied. The decision effectively struck down the Missouri Compromise, declaring that Congress could not prohibit slavery in U.S. territories.
Many justices were Southern-leaning, including Taney, a committed Southern sympathizer and former slave owner. The ruling incensed abolitionists and drew criticism from Abraham Lincoln, who declared that Taney had “assumed historical facts which are not really true.” Lincoln later clashed with Taney during his presidency.
Ownership of Scott eventually passed to Massachusetts Congressman Calvin Chaffee, who had married Emerson’s widow. Shortly after the Supreme Court decision, Chaffee returned ownership to Taylor Blow, whose family had originally owned Scott and had supported his quest for freedom. Blow freed Scott on May 26, 1857.
Dred Scott died on September 17, 1858. His remains were interred at Calvary Cemetery in St. Louis, where his grave went unmarked for nearly a century. In 1957, on the centennial of the Supreme Court decision, a simple marker was placed at the site.
Mayberry hopes more Americans understand the significance of Dred Scott’s story. “Not enough people of any race appreciate history as they should,” he said. “This happened right here, where we live. Unfortunately, I think 95 percent of people don’t even know who Dred Scott was.”
Tom Emery is a freelance writer and historical researcher from Carlinville, Ill. He may be reached at 217-710-8392 or ilcivilwar@yahoo.com.