A statue recognizing the major historic role played by Dred Scott and his wife, Harriet, will be unveiled on Friday, June 8 at the Old Courthouse, the site where the couple petitioned in 1846 for their freedom from slavery, setting in motion the presidential candidacy of Abraham Lincoln, the U.S. Civil War and three amendments to the U.S. Constitution.
The Dred Scott Heritage Foundation is still $140,000 shy of its target fundraising goal for the bronze sculpture by the St. Louis-born artist Harry Weber.
“Harriet and Dred Scott are true American heroes. For 12 years they actively fought for justice and freedom, the core values of the American dream,” said Foundation President and Founder Lynne M. Jackson, the great-great granddaughter of Dred and Harriet Scott.
“Their brave and tireless efforts led directly to the abolition of slavery in our country. A monument to their struggle for freedom is certainly called for, and there could be no better place for it than the very courthouse where their historic legal battle began.”
According to the online Dred Scott history exhibit at Washington University in St. Louis: “St. Louis’ Old Courthouse was the site of one of the most important events in American history. Dred Scott, a slave aged some 50 years, and his wife Harriet, petitioned for their freedom in 1846. The Scotts’ two trials, in 1847 and 1850 in Missouri, instigated a series of complex events which resulted in a Supreme Court decision, and ultimately hastened the onset of the American Civil War.”
The Dred Scott Decision inspired Abraham Lincoln to run for president. According to historians, the 13th, 14th and 15th Amendments were a result of the Dred Scott Decision and the Civil War.
“The memory of Dred Scott and the important shift he helped to bring about in American society is a story that deserves to be recognized and remembered for all future generations,” Jackson.
“We are appealing to individuals, corporations and foundations to help us get over the finish line prior to the June 8 unveiling.”
Tax-deductible donations may be made at http://www.thedredscottfoundation.org. Or contributions made out to The Dred Scott Statue Fund may be mailed directly to: The Dred Scott Heritage Foundation, P.O. Box 2009. Florissant, MO 63032-2009.
