By the 1850s, tensions between the Northern and Southern states were increasing. The issue of slavery was a conflict that contributed greatly to this tension. Northern and Southern people had very different views on slavery. Most Northerners thought slavery was wrong, while Southerners thought slavery was justified. During this time, a lawsuit filed by a black slave against his white slave master took place and further widened the rift between them. The idea of ​​a black man demanding his freedom was ridiculous to most Southerners. My second paragraph concerns the life of Dred Scott. It will mainly be about his life before the affair. The third paragraph will be information about the case before the court. It will include many facts from the trials. The fourth paragraph will talk about the decision of the United States Supreme Court and its effects. This will also include people's reactions to the final decision. “Dred Scott was an enslaved African American” (Appleby 446-447). He was born a slave in 1799. His parents were slaves of Peter Blow, who lived in Virginia. Since his parents were slaves, Dred was a slave from birth. In 1830, the Blow family moved to St. Louis, Missouri and took Dred with them. A few years later it was sold to Dr. John Emerson, a military physician who was stationed in St. Louis at the time. Dr. John Emerson, along with Dred, was transferred in 1834 to Rock Island, Illinois (a free state), and then in 1836 to the military outpost in the Upper Louisiana Territory. John was stationed at every military base for a few years. While in the Upper Louisiana Territory, Dred met Harriet Robison, who belonged to Major Taliaferro. John bought Harri...... middle of paper...... Brinkley, Alan PhD; McPherson, James PhD. The American journey. New York, NY: Glencoe/McGraw-Hill, 2003 “Dred Scott's Fight for Freedom.” » PBS. May 26, 2010 “The Dred Scott decision.” Study the world. 1996-2010. May 26, 2010.Vbansal. “The Effects of Dred Scott V. Sanford.” Related content. August 6, 2007. May 26, 2010. “The Life of Dred Scott.” » Social studies for children. May 26, 2010WordNet Search. May 26 2010.