REPORT OF THE DECISION OF THE SUPREME COURT OF THE UNITED STATES, AND THE OPINIONS OF THE JUDGES THEREOF, IN THE CASE OF DRED SCOTT VERSUS JOHN F. A. SANDFORD. DECEMBER TERM, 1856. BY BENJAMIN C. HOWARD, FROM THE NINETEENTH VOLUME OF HOWARD'S REPORTS.
Washington: Cornelius Wendell, Printer, 1857. 239, [1 blank] pp. Disbound, infrequent mild spotting. Else Very Good.
Dred Scott v. Sandford is the most notorious case in American constitutional history, and one of the most significant. It is "the most famous legal case involving slavery" [Finkelman].
Chief Justice Taney's opinion excluded Blacks from the political community. Their presumed inferiority-- whether slave or free-- became a constitutional cornerstone. They had no rights of citizenship.
Moreover, Congress was powerless to exclude slavery from the Territories. This meant that the 1820 Missouri Compromise was unconstitutional. Far from settling the slavery question, as Taney had hoped, his decision brought sectionalism to the boiling point, rallied the north and the nascent Republican Party, split the Democratic Party in two, and set the stage for war.
The separate opinions reflect the panorama of views, passionately expressed.
Bradley Martin Sale 2524. Grolier American 100, 68. Sabin 33240. Howes S218. Finkelman 49. 111 Eberstadt 194. 32 Decker 100. Item #42232
Price: $1,250.00