The slave
Dred Scott claimed that his residence in a free state transformed him into a free man. When the Court decided otherwise, the ruling sent shock waves through the nation and helped lead to the Civil War.
Earl M. Maltz discusses his book
Dred Scott and the Politics of Slavery and argues that the case revealed a political climate that had grown so threatening to the South that overturning the Missouri Compromise was considered essential.
Maltz is Distinguished Professor of Law at Rutgers University – Camden.
Legal Landmarks is co-presented by the
Kansas City Public Library, the
Truman Library Institute, and the
Federal Court Historical Society. The series is funded by grants from the
Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation Legacy Fund with additional support provided by
Spencer Fane Britt & Browne LLP and co-sponsored by the
University Press of Kansas and the
University of Kansas School of Law.
Watch at c-span.org