The Basics
Who is the author of our story?
Arden Davidson
What is the main character's name?
Dredd Scott
Why was slavery a problem for Congress during the story?
As people moved west, Congress had to decide if slavery would as well.
How did Dredd Scott support his family in a dignified way?
He earned a living as a hotel porter.
*Daily Double
Use one of the vocabulary words from our list in a sentence.
[Answers will vary]
Is the story based on real events?
What is the word you would use to describe that?
Yes; nonfiction
Who owned the main character for most of his life?
John Emerson
What important decision was made in 1850?
Dredd Scott was free.
What did Dredd Scott never give up?
His struggle for freedom.
Abolitionist
People who work to stop slavery
What point-of-view is the story told from?
Third-person
Who owned Dredd Scott first?
Peter Blow; the Blow family.
What did the U.S. Supreme Court decide in March of 1957?
*Double Points: What was the bombshell that was dropped?
They decided against Dredd Scott and that he is still Irene Emerson's property.
Double: Taney decided that any African American, free or slave, is not a citizen.
What ultimately happened to Dredd Scott?
He was freed and died a few years later.
Mob or Mobs
A group of angry people.
How many paragraphs is the story?
13
Who did the main character take to court? (First and Last name)
Irene Emerson
Why were Southerners happy after the Supreme Court decision?
The decision meant that slavery would continue, and Southerners relied on slavery and keeping people as property.
What did Irene argue in the Missouri Supreme Court?
That Dredd Scott was her husband's property and he had the right to take him wherever the army sent him.
Abolish
To get rid of something -- usually used when discussing slavery.
What is the setting of the story?
The U.S. Supreme Court on March 6, 1857.
Who was the last person to own the main character? What happened?
Taylor Blow; he paid Irene for the Scott family and freed them.
What happened to the country as a result of the Supreme Court's decision?
Abraham Lincoln was inspired by the case and the country ended up in a civil war over slavery within two years.
What principle did Missouri follow?
"Once free, always free."
Justices
Judges of the Supreme Court