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Mr. Stanford, unwilling to pay wages owed to Scott, appealed the decision to the Missouri Supreme Court. The court overturned the lower court's decision and ruled in favor of Stanford.
Scott then filed another lawsuit in a federal circuit claiming damages against Stanford.
The controversy began in 1833 when Dr, John Emerson, purchased Dred Scott, and eventually moved Scott to a base in the Wisconsin Territory. Slavery was banned in the territory pursuant to the Missouri compromise.
Dred Scott then sued Stanford in the state court, arguing that he was legally free because he and his family lived in a territory where slavery was banned.
The jury ruled that Scott could not sue under Missouri law.
Scott appealed to the US supreme court , which reviewed the case in 1856.
Due to a clerical error at the time, Stanford's name was misspelled in court record.
Following, the Civil War, the Reconstruction Congress passed, and the state ratified, the 13th, 14th and 15th Amendment, all of which directly overturned the Dred Scott decision.
Today, all people born or naturalized in the United State are American citizens who may bring suit in federal court.
The Supreme court, in a infamous opinion written by Chief Justice Roger B, Taney, ruled that it lacked jurisdiction to take Scott's case because Scott was, or at least had been, a slave.
Argued February 11-14, 1856
Reargued December 15-18, 1856
Decided March 6,1857
The Court viewed slaves as "property", and the Fifth Amendment forbids Congress from taking property away from individuals without just compensation.
Finally, the court argued that, in any case, Scott could not be defined as free by virtue of his residency in the Wisconsin Territory, because Congress lacked the power to ban slavery in US territories.
The court argued that they could not entertain Scott's case because federal courts including the Supreme court, are courts of "peculiar and limited jurisdiction" and may only hear cases brought by selected parties involving limited claims.
The court ruled that because Scott was "a negro, whose ancestors were imported into this country, and sold as slaves", Scott was not a citizen and had no rights to file a lawsuit in federal court.
The court argued that Scott's status of a free state did not necessarily give him status as a US citizens.
The constitution gives Congress exclusive authority to define national citizenship.
The court argued that even if Scott was deemed "free" under the laws of a state, he would still not qualify as an American citizen because he was a black.