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Summary and Objective
Students will understand that some slaves were able to obtain their freedom by suing their masters. They will read about and compare the Dred Scott case to other freedom suits to determine why some were successful and some were not.
Teaching Plan
Step 1.
Pre-activity: Have students recall key points of the Declaration of Independence and the Bill of Rights as they relate to the rights and freedoms of citizens. Discuss whether these concepts related to slaves and African Americans. The intentional omission of this these groups is obvious in these documents. How might African Americans use the ideas of natural rights, life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness and that concept of "All men are created equal" to gain their freedom?
Step 2.
Students should have background knowledge of the pro and anti-slavery sentiments of pre Civil War era, specifically defined as a North/South conflict. They should have an understanding of the social, political and economic arguments used by both sides of the slavery issue. In the freedom suits they will discuss, the location each suit takes place is going to play a major role in the outcome. Students should be prepared with an understanding of why slavery developed and was deeply rooted in the South and why it did not grow in the North, which became dependent on other labor sources (farm girls and later immigrants) for industry.
Step 3.
Students will read the "Anti-Slavery Convention in Franklin County" from the Greenfield Gazette and Franklin Herald newspaper. They should highlight key points that relate to the natural rights of man that are used in the argument against slavery. *Specifically found in the preamble.
Step 4.
Discuss how slaves had little hope for freedom. Running away was the number one means, however some did gain their emancipation from their master, usually upon the master's death, and fewer yet were able to buy their freedom. However, a small yet important group were able to sue for their freedom. These cases often were based on the concepts found in the Declaration of Independence and Bill of Rights to win. In other cases, such as the Dred Scott case, established laws and loopholes were tested.
Do students feel slaves that sue for their freedom will be successful? What outside influences (social, political, economic, geographic, religious etc) may have affected the courts' decisions? Have students hypothesize the reasons given against emancipating a slave who sues for freedom.
Several interesting cases can be found at the link for the St. Louis Court Records listed below. Have students read one or two of these cases and report back to the class a summary of the case and its outcome. Are they surprised by the outcome? Why or why not? What influences do students think impacted the final decision of these cases?
Step 5.
Case #1 Mum Bett, Sheffield, MA. Half the class should read the background of this case and discuss why they feel she was granted her freedom. See the Mum Bett link below found at www.pbs.org.
Step 6.
Case #2 Lucy Jackson, Connecticut. Half the class should read and discuss the case about Lucy Jackson from the article "Slave Case in Connecticut" found in the Gazette and Mercury newspaper. Why do students feel Lucy Jackson was granted her freedom?
Step 7.
Case #3 Dred Scott Missouri. Students should read the article "The Dred Scott Case" from the Gazette and Courier newspaper. They should discuss the main points of the decision. How does the Supreme Court decision support the ideals of the Constitution, in this case in favor of the slave owners and their right to property? Students may need to re-read in their textbook information about the Northwest Ordinance and the Missouri Compromise. Clarification of the case can be read from the links below as well.
Step 8.
Analysis: How will the Dred Scott case affect America? What social and political implications will the outcome of this case have on America? How will states where freedom was granted to slaves through freedom suits be affected?
Assessment: Students will write an essay comparing how different interpretations of the Constitution resulted in opposing outcomes in freedom suits. Quotes from the Constitution and the documents used in this lesson should be incorporated into the essay.
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