Explain to students that the Dred Scott case had a profound impact on the country’s politics. Newspapers wrote extensively about the case and its implications. In addition, the impending 1860 election caused Americans to wonder what the candidates’ position on the case was. Divide the class into groups and assign each group a document that discusses the political ramifications of the Dred Scott decision.  Remind the class that in the mid-nineteenth century, most daily newspapers were openly affiliated with political parties. They made no pretense of separating factual reporting from editorial opinion, and thus they provide good evidence of divergent political viewpoints at the time.  

• Source 1: The Pittsburgh Gazette This paper, closely aligned with the Republican party, chose to focus on the second part of Taney’s decision, the part regarding the expansion of slavery into the territories
• Source 2: The Concord, New Hampshire Patriot A Democratic paper, also focuses on the second part of the decision.

Ask the group to answer the following questions:

1. What is this document? When was it written? Who wrote it?
2. What opinions is the author expressing about the Dred Scott case? Make a list.
3. What evidence do you have for believing this opinion? (i.e. describe a part of an image, find quotes that support their viewpoint)
4. What is the tone of this document? 
5. To whom in American society do you think the message would appeal and why?

Part 2 (30 mins): Re-number everyone in the 4 groups so that there are new groups with at least 1 member from every document represented in the new groups.  

Ask each group member to describe their document and their findings. To keep the group members focused, ask students to record some notes on each document. You may use a chart like the one below to help students stay organized.

Once everyone has presented their document, ask the group to use their notes to answer the following questions:

1. What are the similarities between the documents?

All of the documents are about the Dred Scott decision, all are focused on the institution of slavery and race and how the case may impact the country, all are passionate about their opinion, and seem to want to convince the reader/listener that they are correct, they all point to the fact that the issue is causing tension and discord in the country

2. What are the differences between the documents?

The authors are divided on what is right and wrong about the decision and the authors’ tones differ 

3. Based on these 4 documents, how do you think the Dred Scott decision impacted the country’s politics?

The country was totally divided on the issue of slavery and Dred Scott’s case was a manifestation of those differences.  It was a specific case that Americans could discuss clearly the facts of the case and debate the decision of the Supreme Court. The case pointed to the rising tensions that would eventually lead to the Civil War.

4. In what way do you think this case may have influenced the language in the post-Civil War amendments (13^th and 15^th), which declare specifically that all persons born in the United States are citizens and that no state can abridge that right regardless of a person’s previous servitude?

These amendments were written to prevent another case like Dred Scott’s by specifically stating that it would be unconstitutional to infringe on the rights of any citizen. It also explicitly states that, under these amendments, Dred Scott and his family are, in fact, citizens as they were all born in the United States. Race would not be able to determine the status of citizenship.