Chapter 4 : The Union in Peril : Historic Decisions of the Supreme Court

Use the Web sites below to research what it means to be a citizen of the United States and what rights that citizenship extends. Research which constitutional amendments, U.S. laws, and Supreme Court decisions guarantee the rights of citizens. Prepare an oral presentation or annotated display to summarize your findings.

Dred Scott Case http://encarta.msn.com/ encnet/ refpages/ RefArticle.aspx?refid=761560456
Extensive encyclopedia article covering the landmark case of the 1850s that declared that African-Americans were not U.S. citizens. The Supreme Court also established that the portion of the Missouri Compromise of 1820 that banned slavery north and west of the state of Missouri was unconstitutional, therefore opening the door for slavery to spread throughout the United States.

Dred Scott http://library.wustl.edu/ vlib/ dredscott/
Web site created by Washington University in St. Louis, where the famous Dred Scott v. Sanford U.S. Supreme Court case originated. Site provides copies of court documents, a time line of the case, and a biography of Scott.

Dred Scott v. John F. A. Sandford http://www.tourolaw.edu/ patch/ Scott/
Transcript of the opinion of the Court, and the separate dissenting opinion of Justices McLean and Curtis.


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