confederate dead at battle of chancellorsville, near fredericsburg, Virginia
emancipation political drawing
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political cartoon of the era about the dred scott court case
AN INSPIRING HISTORICAL FICTION DRAMA SCRIPT BASED ON SCOTT V SANFORD, THE (7-2) U.S.SUPREME COURT RULING READ BY CHIEF JUSTICE ROGER TANEY ON MARCH 6,1857 THAT STATED THAT NEGROES-WHETHER FREE OR SLAVE-ARE NOT UNITED STATES CITIZENS BY THE CONSTITUTION. ADDITIONALLY, THE NORTHWEST ORDINANCE OF 1787 COULD NOT CONFER CITIZENSHIP OR FREEDOM TO NEGROES WITHIN THIS TERRITORY. AND FINALLY, THE 1820 MISSOURI COMPROMISE PROVISION DISALLOWING SLAVERY NORTH OF MISSOURI EXCEEDED CONGRESSIONAL POWER AND THUS, THIS PORTION OF THE LEGISLATIVE ACT WAS NULL AND VOID. AS A RESULT DRED AND HARRIET SCOTT WITH THEIR CHILDREN (ELIZA AND LIZZY) HAD NO JURISDICTIONAL POWER TO UTILIZE THE FEDERAL COURTS TO OBTAIN FREEDOM OR CITIZENSHIP. THIS RULING SET THE STAGE FOR THE LINCOLN-DOUGLAS DEBATES OF 1858 AND THE CIVIL WAR. HARRIET SCOTT’S TREMENDOUS SUPPORT OF HER HUSBAND, DRED, IN HIS FREEDOM SUIT, FIGHTING TO KEEP HER FAMILY TOGETHER, AND THE UNENDING PLIGHT TO HAVE HER DAUGHTERS LIVE”FREE”IS A REMARKABLE TRIBUTE TO WOMEN AND MANKIND. THE STORY BEGINS AT FORT SNELLING IN WISCONSIN TERRITORY IN MAY 1836 WHERE DRED AND HARRIET SCOTT ACTUALLY MEET.
DECEMBER 30, 1843 HARRIET I CANNOT BELIEVE WHAT I JUST WITNESSED. DRED WHAT? I HEARD A BUNCH OF NOISE IN THE HOUSE AND THEN I HEARD CRYING AND SCREAMING.
harriet beecher stowe, author of uncle tom’s cabin
HARRIET YES! DID YOU SEE THE NEIGHBORS COME RUSHING? THEY INJECTED DR. EMERSON WITH SOMETHING INTO HIS NECK AND THEN SOMEONE BEGAN ROLLING HIM BACK AND FORTH-ABOUT EVERY 5 SECONDS-PUSHING ON HIS CHEST. THEN WHAT HAPPENED?
DRED
HARRIET WELL, SOMEONE THEN CUT HIS CHEST OPEN AND LIFTED HIS HEART OUT AND BEGAN TO SQUEEZE IT-AND THEN SOMEONE ELSE BLEW THROUGH DR. EMERSON’S MOUTH AND YOU COULD SEE HIS LUNGS INFLATE-IT WAS INCREDIBLE. 44
WHAT ABOUT ALL THE ICE?
DRED
HARRIET WELL, DR. EMERSON WANTED TO BE PRESERVED IN CASE SOMETHING MEDICALLY HAPPENED AND HE COULD BE REVIVED LATER ACCORDING TO SOME OF THE SLAVES. DRED BOY! I KNEW HE WAS A GOOD DOCTOR-BUT EXPERIMENTING ON YOUR OWN DEATH-AND THEN FREEZING YOURSELF. I DON’T GET IT-BUT THEN MAYBE I DO. HARRIET YES-I GUESS BENJAMIN FRANKLIN NEARLY A CENTURY AGO DISCUSSED THIS-FREEZING OF THE HUMAN AND THEN STORING HIM-UNTIL LATER HE CAN BE BROUGHT BACK.
the missouri compromise of 1820
DRED WOW! I KNEW DR. EMERSON WAS CREATIVE AND ON THE CUSP OF MEDICINE-BUT THIS IS TRULY INCREDIBLE-IN FACT UNBELIEVABLE. WHERE DID THEY TAKE HIM? HARRIET I DON’T KNOW-SOMEONE SAID CHICAGO-EAST SOMEWHERE. I SUPPOSE THEY MAY DO THIS IN BIG CITIES. DON’T DO THIS TO ME, DRED. DRED WHY, I DOUBT IF IT WORKS-DR. EMERSON IS A BIG LOSSDECEMBER 29, 1843 WILL BE A DAY WE’LL NEVER FORGET. WHY IS THAT?
HARRIET
DRED WELL, BECAUSE THE EMERSON’S JUST BEGAN CALLING US DRED AND HARRIET SCOTT-WHICH WAS NICE. WE HAVE TWO NAMES-LIKE FREE WHITE PEOPLE. SOME OF THE SLAVES SAY WE ARE FREE BECAUSE WE WERE MARRIED BY MAJOR TALIAFERRO IN A CIVIL CEREMONY-MAKING ME A FREE MAN BECAUSE I MARRIED A FREE WOMAN. WHAT DO YOU THINK OF THAT?
union soldiers
HARRIET I REALLY DON’T KNOW-NO ONE SAID ANYTHING ABOUT THAT-I ASSUMED WE WERE SOLD TO DR. EMERSON WHO IS ON A MILITARY ASSIGNMENT IN WISCONSIN TERRITORY-SO LOCAL LAWS MAY NOT APPLY FOR RESIDENCE AS REGARDS A POTENTIAL FREE SLAVE CLAIM.
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DRED BUT YOU SPENT A FEW YEARS IN PENNSYLVANIA ALSO, HARRIET-SO YOU SHOULD BE ENTITLED TO YOUR FREEDOM. HARRIET WELL, I GUESS MAJOR TALIAFERRO WAS SILENT ON THESE ASPECTS OF THE SALE-I REALLY FEEL HE WANTED OUT OF SLAVERY SINCE HE WAS ETHICALLY OPPOSED TO IT. MAYBE WE SHOULD HAVE ASKED FOR OUR FREEDOM TOGETHER? DRED YES-WE SHOULD HAVE-I GUESS WE SHOULD BE LAWYERS ALSO SINCE THE LAWS ARE SO CONFUSING HARRIET.
union artillery
HARRIET WELL, AGAIN WE SHOULD HAVE RISKED ONE OR BOTH OF US BEING SOLD AND THE SCOTTS WOULDN’T HAVE BEEN ALLOWED TO MARRY-NO FAMILY OR CHILDREN! IT WOULD HAVE BEEN REALLY UGLY IF SOMEONE REFUSED TO GO ALONG WITH OUR FREEDOM-ESPECIALLY WITH MASTERS SEEING US AS PRODUCING MANY CHILDREN-WHICH INCREASES OUR PROPERTY VALUE TO THEM IMMENSELY. DRED IF I WASN’T SO HUNG UP ABOUT MARRIAGE AND POTENTIALLY LOSING YOU-WELL, I WOULD HAVE DEMANDED FREEDOM IN FRONT OF THE TWO MASTERS-PLAIN AND SIMPLE. WHO KNOWS? THEY MAY HAVE GRANTED FREEDOM TO US. HARRIET NO, DRED-I STRONGLY FEEL MAJOR TALIAFERRO WANTED OUT OF SLAVERY AND DR. EMERSON WASN’T ABOUT TO GIVE UP HIS PROPERTY-YOU OR ANY OF HIS OTHER SLAVES. WE MAY HAVE BEEN SOLD RIGHT THEN AND THERE AND OFF TO ST. LOUIS.
slave auction scene
DRED VERY DEPRESSING, HARRIET-THIS WHOLE SLAVERY ISSUE BURNS ME ALL OVER. I’M A BUBBLING FOUNTAIN OF FREEDOM. I WANT OUR FREEDOM MORE THAN EVER. HARRIET DRED, DO YOU KNOW THERE ARE WHITE AND INDIAN SLAVES AROUND ST. LOUIS? DRED YES. THEY ARE ALMOST ALWAYS ABLE TO BUY OR WORK TOWARDS FREEDOM FOR THEMSELVES AND THEIR FAMILYBUT OH, NOT AFRICAN DESCENT NEGRO PEOPLE-NO WAY! AND FREE INDIANS WHO MARRY BLACKS ARE TREATED LIKE FUR TRADERS-KIND OF LIKE WHITE FOLKS-BUT NOT
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QUITE LIKE MASTERS-BUT CERTAINLY THEY ARE NO LONGER SLAVES-THEY AT LEAST HAVE INDIAN STATUS AND CAN ROAM AS THEY WISH. HARRIET WELL, I WANT MY FREEDOM, DRED-WE’VE LOST TWO BOYS THE PAST 3 YEARS-ELIZA IS BECOMING A WOMAN. DRED AND SHE WILL PROBABLY BE SOLD SOON-WHO KNOWS? SHE IS VERY ATTRACTIVE LIKE HER MOTHER. I KNEW THIS WAS COMING. IT REALLY BOTHERS ME. HARRIET NICE OF YOU TO SAY THIS-BUT I AM DEAD SERIOUS NOW ABOUT FREEDOM. I KNOW I WASN’T BEFORE BUT WE DIDN’T HAVE GROWING KIDS. DRED WELL, DR. EMERSON WAS ABOUT TO GRANT US OUR FREEDOM-BUT IRENE STEPPED IN AN AND SAID SHE NEEDED TO RENT OUT THE SCOTTS FOR MONEY. THAT’S WHY YOU AND I HAVE BEEN RUNNING AROUND ST. LOUIS DOING EVERY IMAGINABLE JOB-WORKING FOR LEBEAUME AND EVERYONE ELSE. I DON’T MIND WORKING-BUT I WANT TO WORK FOR MYSELF-NOT EVERYONE ELSE.
newsclipping announcing the dred scott supreme court decision
HARRIET WELL, MAYBE IRENE EMERSON WILL GRANT US OUR FREEDOM-YOU NEVER KNOW. DRED NO-SHE JUST HAD THE BABY, HENRIETTA, THIS PAST YEAR. THEY HAVE EXPENSES THAT WE HELP OFFSET BY OUR RENTED WORK OF WHICH SHE KEEPS THE MONEY. WE WILL NEVER BE GIVEN OUR FREEDOM. DR. EMERSON WAS ACTUALLY WORKING ON A WAY TO MAYBE OBTAIN OUR FREEDOM-BUT IRENE IS SUCH A SOCIAL PERSON WITH A SPECIAL PLACE IN ST. LOUIS, THAT GRANTING SLAVES FREEDOM IS NOT WHAT THAT CROWD DOES.
emancipation related political drawing from the period
HARRIET WELL, THAT IS NICE-WE’VE WORKED FOR THESE FOLKS FOR YEARS-DONE EVERY BIT OF DIRTY WORK IMAGINABLEWORKED LONG HOURS AND WE ARE STILL PROPERTY. DRED WE ARE CALLED “CHATTEL” OR MERCHANDISE WHERE THEY SELL SLAVES IN DOWNTOWN ST. LOUIS OFF BROADWAY. BUT I THINK MY VALUE IS DECLINING-SO IS YOURS-BUT ELIZA’S VALUE GOES UP EVERY MONTH AND SOON SHE’LL BE ABLE TO PRODUCE MORE SLAVES. IT WILL NEVER END. 47
WE’LL HAVE TO HIDE HER, AS EVERYONE WILL NOTICE HOW ATTRACTIVE SHE IS AND WANT HER. HARRIET YES-SHE’LL BE SHIPPED FURTHER SOUTH TO MAKE MORE SLAVES EITHER BY MASTERS OR OTHER SLAVES-I KNOW THIS. IT’S UNLIKELY SHE’LL RUN INTO DR. EMERSON OR MAJOR TALIAFERRO TYPE MASTERS. DRED WE AS DRED, HARRIET, AND ELIZA SCOTT ARE OFFICIALLY THE PROPERTY OF HENRIETTA AND IRENE EMERSON. IT’S THAT SIMPLE. SO I WILL JUST LIVE MY LIFE ENJOYING IT AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE AS YOU SAY, HARRIET. general phillip sheridan
HARRIET WAIT A SECOND-I’M ON YOUR SIDE NOW-I WANT TO FIGHT FOR OUR FREEDOM-I REALLY DO. I’M NOT STOPPING NOW. I HAVE A BEAUTIFUL DAUGHTER THAT NO ONE PERSON OR INSTITUTION CAN STEP BETWEEN US-EVER! DRED SO YOU WANT TO GET ME EXCITED ABOUT FREEDOM AGAINI’VE BEEN QUIET FOR MANY MONTHS. SLAVE FREEDOM TRIALS HAVEN’T GONE WELL. OH, I KNOW OCCASIONALLY SOMEONE GETS THEIR FREEDOM. THINGS ARE GOING THE OTHER WAY IN MISSOURI AND NATIONALLY WITH SLAVE REVOLTS AND MUCH MORE INTEREST IN FREEDOM BY BLACK PEOPLE. BUT THEN I GUESS ALL YOU HAVE TO DO IS LOOK AT WHAT HAPPENED IN ALTON, ILLINOIS A FEW YEARS BACK-WHERE THAT ABOLITIONIST GUY NAMED LOVEJOY WAS KILLED FOR EXPRESSING HIS FEELINGS IN PRINT. HARRIET WE WILL NEED TO ASK-I MEAN DEMAND-FREEDOM FROM IRENE. I MEAN IT!
soldiers taking a break during civil war
DRED GOOD LUCK-BETTER YOU THAN ME-IRENE HAS NEVER BEEN ONE TO FREE SLAVES-NEVER. HARRIET I’M STILL TRYING. IRENE IS REALLY TOUGH TO TALK TOSHE WANTS OUR RENT MONEY-IT IS VERY SIMPLE-UNLESS SHE HAS PRESSURE TO GIVE US OUR FREEDOM-SHE JUST WON’T. BESIDES, A FREEDOM BOND COSTS UP TO $1000-I DON’T SEE IRENE DOING ANYTHING BUT LAUGHING AT THIS. DRED HARRIET, GO TO BED-SLEEP ON THIS. YOU’LL HAVE TO CATCH IRENE AT A WEAK MOMENT. THERE IS SO MUCH GOING ON-WE MAY BE SENT TO IRENE EMERSON’S
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BROTHER IN LAW-HENRY BAINBRIDGE-WHO WILL WORK US HARD. I MAY BE REQUIRED TO GO TO CORPUS CHRISTI BECAUSE OF THE WAR WITH MEXICO LOOMING. THERE IS GROWING ABOLITIONIST SUPPORT-WITH MR. GARRISON’S WRITINGS AND STATEMENTS-AND OBERLIN COLLEGE IN ILLINOIS AND BATES COLLEGE IN MAINE BECOMING HUBS OF FREEDOM FOR BLACKS. FREEDOM MAY BE COMING. HARRIET BUT JUST LOOK AT THE COURT DECISIONS IN MISSOURITHEY ARE BEGINNING TO NOT APPLY COMITY AS AN ATTORNEY WHO I DID CLOTHES FOR THE OTHER DAY SAID. THEY WON’T APPLY ILLINOIS, WISCONSIN TERRITORY, OR ANY NORTHERN LAW IN MISSOURI BECAUSE THEY FEAR LARGE NUMBERS OF BLACKS WILL BE FREE SOON. THEY ARE TIGHTENING THE BELTS BY THE COURTS. GOOD NIGHT DRED AND LOVE.
slaves picking cottong
DRED GOOD NIGHT AND LOVE-WE’LL SEE YOU EARLY A.M. End of Chapter 3, Beloved Harriet.
dairy on a southern planatation
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