The Dred Scott Case Quiz

In what year did Dred Scott first go to trial to sue for his freedom?

• 1847

• 1843

• 1836

• 1857

What was the Supreme Court's decision regarding people of African ancestry?

• They could never become citizens of the United States

• They could sue in federal court regardless of their status

• They were allowed to sue for their freedom in any state

• They could become citizens if they were free

Who was Dred Scott's master when he moved to the free state of Illinois?

• Mrs. Emerson

• John Sanford

• Dr. John Emerson

• Peter Blow

Why did Dred Scott believe he had the legal standing to make a claim for freedom?

• Because his master had promised him freedom

• Because he was born a free man

• Because he had saved enough money to buy his freedom

• Because he had lived in territories where slavery was prohibited

What was the outcome of the 1850 retrial in the St Louis circuit court?

• Scott was declared a citizen of the United States

• Scott and his family were declared free

• Scott was sent back to his original owner

• The case was dismissed on a technicality

Which court reversed the decision of the St Louis circuit court in 1852?

• The United States Supreme Court

• The Illinois Supreme Court

• The Missouri Supreme Court

• The United States Circuit Court in Missouri

How many justices of the Supreme Court in 1856 had biases regarding slavery?

• Five

• Three

• Seven

• Nine

What was the main issue for the Supreme Court to decide in Dred Scott's case?

• Whether slavery was constitutional

• Whether Scott was indeed a citizen

• Whether the Missouri Compromise was constitutional

• Whether Scott had lived long enough in a free state

Who wrote the 'majority opinion' for the Supreme Court?

• Abraham Lincoln

• Dr. John Emerson

• Roger B. Taney

• John Sanford

What was the reaction in the South to the Supreme Court's decision?

• It was ignored and not enforced

• It led to immediate abolition movements

• It was well-received by slaveholders

• It was met with outrage