Dred Scott was a slave back in the mid-1800s whose master had taken him to the North. When his master died, he was willed to his master’s sister who treated him very cruelly. Dred Scott sought to gain his freedom, claiming his time spent in the North made him a free man. His case made it all the way to the Supreme Court in 1857, three years before the Civil War was to begin. The court ruled he could not be a free man. But could a Black man pre-Civil War receive a fair trial? Now it is your chance to find out. 

In this mock trial, students will put Dred Scott on trial. There will be lawyers representing each side. There will be witnesses for the prosecution and the defense. Together the lawyers and witnesses will create questions that can be asked that will give the jury valuable information to make a decision on the case. Profiles for each witness are provided as well as the various roles people play in the court system.

By the end of this mock trial, you will get to decide whether Dred Scott will be a free man or not.