Event+From+The+Past.

Mark Twain's novel The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn was written shortly after the Dred Scott Case and the Civil War. Throughout the novel Jim is descriminated against because of his skin much like Dred Scott was.

The Dred Scott Case Dred Scott was a slave who sued for his freedom. Dr. John Emerson purchased Dred Scott from Peter Blow, who had owned him since birth. The Emerson’s had moved from state to state most of which were free. Making it illegal for him to be a slave and was eligible to be freed under the Illinois Constitution. After Emerson died unexpectedly, Scott tried to purchase his freedom from Irene Emerson for $300, but she refused. After, he sued for his freedom because Scott’s extended stay in both Illinois and Wisconsin, free states where slavery was illegal, gave him the legal standing claim for freedom however Scott never made the claim while living in free lands. Possibly because he was unaware of his rights at the time, or perhaps he was happy with his master. The court ruled that people of African descent, whether or not they were slaves, could never be citizens of the United States, and that Congress had no authority to prohibit slavery in federal territories. It was also said Scott was property and therefore not entitled to file suit in a federal court.("Dred Scott's Fight For Freedom"),("Dred Scott."), ("Dred Scott v. Sandford.").

Twain’s novel acts as a critique of the Dred Scott case because it proves that people during this time period could not look past the color of a person’s skin. In the novel Jim represents Dred Scott. He represents Scott because they are both black men in search of freedom and keeping the family together. The judge is represented through Miss Watson, Widow Douglass, and Sally. They represent the judge because they are “good” and kind people yet it does not bother them if a family is separated or one is killed. They feel blacks are property and not people much like the judge in the case. It did not matter that Scott was living in free territory he was a slave and that meant he was property therefore he had not right to sue. The novel proves that the women have hypocritical religious and ethical values much like the judge.

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