Dred Scott v. Sandford: A Brief History with Documents (The Bedford Series in History and Culture)

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The only book on Dred Scott built around primary documents, this brief text examines the 1857 Supreme Court case - one of the most controversial and notorious judicial decisions in U.S. history - in which a slave unsuccessfully sued for his freedom. In addition to excerpts from each justice's opinion, contemporary editorials and newspaper articles, and pertinent excerpts from the Lincoln-Douglas debates, the book includes a comprehensive introduction that provides background information on the slavery controversy in antebellum America. Helpful editorial features include headnotes, maps, illustrations, a chronology, questions for consideration, a selected bibliography, and an index.