I did both William Carney and Dred Scott because they are both hard working men that were both in slavery for a good amount of time. They both fought for the freedom of themselves and other slaves. I found both of these men to be interesting and educational. William Carney born into slavery on February 29, 1840, in Norfolk Virginia. William usually worked out in the fields with his father, and his mom worked in the master’s home.
As William was growing up, his minister helped him with his schooling as a secret. “Father William Sr. ad escaped slavery through the Underground Railroad, He had tried to gather enough money to buy his family’s freedom. ” (Helm) His father finally purchased his wife and son out of slavery in January 1, 1850. After they were free they moved and settled in New Bedford, Massachusetts. After William was free he wanted to become a priest, but instead he joined the Union Army because they were trying to beat the South. William was the first black soldier that received the first award called the medal of honor. William was a smart and good leader who became a sergeant.
Carney and his men went to fight at Fort Wagner which was located on an island, which guarded the harbor of Charleston. The crew decided to camp out in a sand dune to make sure that their guns were loaded and ready to fire. Carney shouted out their orders and began to fight. Carney was with a few of his men, they had found a camp with ammo and guns. William knew something was wrong and they needed to get out of there as soon as possible. He was carrying a flag with a whole bunch of colors that represented their platoon.
As he was carrying it to safety William had been shot in the leg and in the arm. He shouted to his men,”the old flag never touched the ground boy’s. “(Profiles of Bravery. ) Out of 600 men fighting 272 men were either killed or wounded. William Soon Left the army on June 30, 1864, because of his wounds. On October 11, 1865, He married Susannah Williams. They had a daughter named Clara and William soon became a shipping clerk in San Francisco. He then became a messenger at the State House in Boston.
When William Carney came back to New Bradford and became a mail carrier till 1901. Williams wife Susannah was the first African American to graduate from the New Bradford high school, and one of the first black teachers in Massachusetts public schools. “(Notable Black American Men. ) Later on William’s daughter Clara Became a piano teacher. Carney then died on December 9, 1908, by getting his leg stuck in an elevator. He was buried in the family plot at Oak Grove cemetery. After William had died, the State House wanted to give William’s family the medal of honor and the flag that William had carried to safety that had never touched the ground.
Dred Scott was born into slavery in 1795 in Southampton County, Virginia. He had tried to fight for his freedom, but he had failed. “After his first owner had died, Scott spent time in two free states working for many subsequent owners. “(Civil Rights Activist. ) Shortly after he had tried to get his family free again he failed. He then took his case to the Missouri Court, where he had tried to get him and his family free. Dred got sent down to Illinois which was a free state where the Missouri Compromise of 1820 prohibited slavery.
Dred was then sold to a U. S Army surgeon. Dred was living in Illinois that was considered a free state. Then they came back to Missouri and his owner had past away, so Dred was then sold to Dr. Emerson in 1831. Dr. Emerson moved a lot, he was an Army officer. In 1837 Emerson took Scott to Fort Snelling, which is now the state of Minnesota. It was considered free territory. Scott then found Harriet Robinson his true love. ” They got married in 1836, and had two children Eliza and Lizzie Scott. They also had two sons who died during infancy.
When Emerson died in 1846, Dred tried to buy himself and his family’s freedom for $300, which would be equal to $8,000 today, but Emerson’s wife Irene refused. “(Biography. com Editors) Irene had moved down to Massechusets, so she sent Dred and his family down to her brother in-law John Sandford. “Dred went to trial in 1847, but Dred lost on a technicality, he could not prove that he and Harriet were owned by Dr. Emerson’s widow. The next year the Missouri Supreme Court Decide to retried the case. In an 1850 retrial the St. Louis court ruled that Scott and his family were free. ” Two years later the Missouri Supreme Court stepped in again, reversing their decision.
Scott and his lawyer the brought the case to to federal court. “In 1854, the circuit court upheld the decision of the Missouri Supreme Court. ” “After losing again in the federal district court, they went to the Supreme court in Dred Scott v. s Sandford. “(Wikipedia) Dred Scott had an argument that since he was in Illinois on free soil he should become a free citizen. (Wikipedia) Scott claimed that him and John Sanford, who lived in New York, were citizens from different states. “The justices of the Supreme Court were biased regarding slavery. Seven of them had been appointed by pro slavery presidents, and five were families the owned slaves. ” (pbs. orgThe decision of the court was read on March of 1857. The decision stated that because Scott was black, he was not a citizen and therefore had no right to sue.
The decision also decided that slavery was restricted in certain territories. Peter Blow’s sons, which were childhood friends to Scott, helped him pay his legal fees. ” (pbs. org) After the Supreme Court’s decision, the former master’s sons purchased Scott and his wife and set them free. Dred Scott died nine months later at the age of 59. “In 1977, the Scott’s great-grandson, John Madison, Jr. , an attorney, gave the invocation at the ceremony at the Old Courthouse for the dedication of a national Historic Marker commemorating the Scotts case. In 1977, Dred and Harriet Scott were inducted into the St. Louis Walk of fame” (wikipedia)