I, Dred Scott
A Fictional Slave Narrative Based on the Life and Legal Precedent of Dred Scott

Shelia P. Moses is a National Book Award Finalist who has brought to life the story of Dred Scott, a man born into slavery in the 1700s. In 1846, Dred Scott and his wife, Harriet, filed a lawsuit for their freedom. After 11 years of debate, the case was settled in the U.S. Supreme Court, which issued a decision declaring that Scott and his wife remain slaves. The controversy surrounding this case contributed to the already high tensions in the country in the days before the Civil War.