Dred Scott case started here in 1846

On April 6, 1846, Dred Scott and his wife, Harriet, started their legal battle in St. Louis to become free people. Their unsuccessful 11-year effort against slavery is considered important in leading to the Civil War.

The Scotts' battle went through two different trials. First, they were freed by the local Missouri court. But, that decision was overturned by the Missouri Supreme Court.

Then, lawyers for the Scotts appealed to the federal courts. The case finally ended up in the U.S. Supreme Court.

Chief Justice Roger B. Taney wrote in the majority opinion that found the Scotts must remain slaves. The decision was 7-2. Taney also wrote that, since the Scotts were slaves, they weren't U.S. citizens so couldn't sue for their freedom in the federal courts.

This harsh decision was opposed by many American citizens, both black and white. The controversy spilled over into presidential politics. The new Republican Party had been formed earlier to fight against slavery.

In the election of 1860, the Republican candidate, Abraham Lincoln, was elected. Also, South Carolina seceded from the country.

After the Supreme Court decision, the Scotts' owner, Irene Emerson, remarried and her new husband, Calvin Chaffee, was very opposed to slavery. Irene Emerson gave the Scotts to a St. Louis couple who had befriended them.

They freed the Scotts in May, 1857. That was just a month before Dred Scott died.

You can get more information about the Dred Scott case and slavery in Missouri on two websites. (Note: Both of these addresses are long so make sure you type them correctly.)

The National Park Service address is www.nps.gov/jeff/ocv-dsscottd.htm. The Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) address is www.pbs.org/wgbh/aia/part4/4p2932.html.

 

Dred Scott courtroom now a historic site

The Dred Scott case was heard in what is now called the Old Courthouse in downtown St. Louis. That building and the Gateway Arch make up the Jefferson National Expansion Memorial.

The Jefferson Memorial is one of several Missouri sites under supervision of the federal National Park Service. The Arch and the Old Courthouse offer interesting tours for kids and their families.

Another NPS historic site that's fun to tour is Ulysses S. Grant National Historic Site across from Grant's Farm in south St. Louis.

You can learn more about the National Park Service sites in Missouri by logging on to: data2.itc.nps.gov/parksearch/state/state.cfm?statevar=mo.

 

St. Louis history highlights on
Earth Day and basketball

The St. Louis Earth Day celebrations are a local highlight for kids and adults during April. Local Earth Day events started here back in 1970, with a "Litter and Survival" march in Forest Park.

Each year, college basketball teams closes out the season with the NCAA Final Four in early April. But, for St. Louis, April was the city's high point in pro basketball. The St. Louis Hawks beat the Boston Celtics to win the 1958 NBA championship.

April also is the anniversary of St. Louis' first public school, which opened in 1838.

These are just a few of the highlights on St. Louis history to be found in the book, "St. Louis 365." Local historian Joe Sonderman has compiled thousands of notes about St. Louis' colorful history.

He includes 151 different historical citations for April alone.

(If you'd like to have a copy of Sonderman's book, it's on sale at all major St. Louis book stores. You also can purchase it on line at www.booksonline.com.)

Here are a sample of April anniversaries from Sonderman's book:

April 2, 1838: The first public school in St. Louis opened. The Missouri Legislature had organized a school board and set in motion plans for two school houses in 1837. The first one to open was the Laclede Primary School at Fourth and Spruce. While the first school was public, it was not free.

April 5, 1904: The city police chief ordered his officers to strictly enforce an eight-mile-per-hour speed limit on city streets and a six-mile-per-hour limit in the parks. He said the spring weather would bring out automobiles of the latest types, and drivers would be using the boulevards and parks as raceways.

April 5, 1916: The St. Louis Zoo got its first elephant. School children raised $2,300 in pennies to purchase the pachyderm, which was to be named in honor of school board president James Harper. The elephant turned out to be a female, so she was dubbed "Miss Jim."

April 8, 1904: The latest figures from the Census Bureau showed that St. Louis was the fourth largest city in the country. The population of the city was put at 612,279. That ranked behind only New York, Philadelphia and Boston.

April 12, 1958: The Hawks won the NBA championship, defeating the Boston Celtics four games to two. In the final game, Hawks hero Bob Petit scored 50 points. He broke the NBA record for points in a regulation playoff game.

April 14, 1924: Maya Angelou was born as Marguerite Johnson in St. Louis. She first rose to critical acclaim in 1970 when her story of her childhood in segregated rural Arkansas, "I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings." Angelou today is one of the leading African-American literary figures.

April 19, 1878: The telephone came to St. Louis. George Freeland Durant opened the first exchange at 417 Olive. He had 12 subscribers. They paid $300 for a three-year-contract. By the time the first directory was issued later that year, there were 60 subscribers and 72 phones in St. Louis.

April 22, 1970: Teach-ins and seminars at area colleges marked the first "Earth Day" observances in St. Louis. St. Louis University and Washington University students joined in a "Litter and Survival" march in Forest Park.