Introduction
You are a judge for the Supreme Court and it is up to YOU to make a fair ruling!
It is the year 1857 and a young man named Dred Scott is suing the Sandfords. Who is right? Who is wrong? What is fair?
Do the research. Find the facts. Discern the truth. Make the call!
Task
As you follow the information that you find, you must consider everyones perspective. It is up to you to determine what is fair, right, and just.
Once you feel that you have all of the facts that you need, write out a paper in Google Docs titled, "My Judgement." This paper should include what your judgement would be, what evidence you discovered that lead to your decision, where you found the evidence, and, most importantly, a detailed explanation of why your decision is the right decision. Also, tell what impact your decision would have on the population of the time.
You must show that you have a complete understanding of the case, and have considered all of the information given.
Process
Follow this path, young Supreme Court Justice, to justice and liberty for all.
(Remember, you are about to see many historical viewpoints which can differ depending on the historian. Also, in some ways, these histories can be upsetting to us, but we must remember that our nation is not founded on perfection, but in triumphing over great adversaries... and the greatest of adversaries is often our own ignorance.)
Step 1: Understand the 1800's. Visit this link:
http://library.wustl.edu/vlib/dredscott/chronology.html
Step 2: Now that you've seen the times, understand Mr. Dred Scott's position.
http://americancivilwar.com/colored/dred_scott.html
Step 3: Now try to understand Sandford's position.
http://www.enotes.com/slavery-article
Step 4: Here is how the case began and how it went without you.
http://www.gilderlehrman.org/collection/online/scott/index.html
Step 5: This is a summary of the case for your review.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rRQZiK9F96g
Step 6: Well...? What do you think? What went wrong? What went right? What is your decision? Why? Based on what? How will the nation respond to your decision? Describe it.