Who was Dred Scott and why was he trying to sue John Sanford?

Answer 1

Dred Scott was an enslaved African American man who attempted to sue John Sanford, his owner, for his freedom in a landmark legal case known as Dred Scott v. Sandford (the correct spelling of the defendant's name is Sanford). Scott argued that because he had lived in free states and territories where slavery was prohibited, he should be considered a free man under the law. The case ultimately reached the United States Supreme Court, which ruled against Scott in 1857, stating that African Americans, whether free or enslaved, were not considered US citizens and therefore could not bring a lawsuit in federal court. This decision further entrenched the institution of slavery and exacerbated tensions leading up to the American Civil War.