In 1846, enslaved African Americans Dred and Harriet Scott filed suit in a Missouri court to win their freedom. After eleven long years, the United States Supreme Court ruled against the Scotts, denying them their freedom and rejecting the ability of Congress to forbid slavery in the territories. It remains one of the most controversial decisions in United States history.

This flexible curriculum kit focuses on the story of Dred and Harriet’s quest for freedom for themselves and their daughters. By watching the portrayals of Dred and Harriet and examining primary sources of the period, students will begin to understand the differing perspectives on the issue of slavery during the turbulent decades leading up to the Civil War.

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Available online only.

Kit Contents

• Teacher s Guide and Lesson Plans
• Classroom Tools
• Video DVD
• Resources CD
• Slideshow Presentation

• Grades

  5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12

  Standards

  • Dred Scott Kit National Social Studies
  • Dred Scott Kit ELA Common Core
  • Dred Scott Kit Minnesota Social Studies
  • Dred Scott Kitt Minnesota ELA

  • Related Resources

    • Slavery at Fort Snelling (webpage)

    • Dred and Harriet Scott in Minnesota (article from MNopedia, an online encyclopedia of Minnesota)

    • Split in Two: The Dred Scott Decision (video)

    • Educator Resource Portal — Civil War (webpage with links to many resources)

    • Dred and Harriet Scott: A Family s Struggle for Freedom (book)

    • Watch From Virginia to Fort Snelling video excerpt on YouTube