The Army Fort That Flouted Anti-Slavery Laws Until Dred & Harriet Scott Said Enough

Fort Snelling, Minnesota

The Army let its officers bring enslaved people to Fort Snelling, even though it was already made illegal there.

Up to 30 enslaved people cooked, cleaned, and worked for officers at this Minnesota post.

Two of them would eventually fight back in a case that reached the nation’s top court. This is their story, told at the historic fort you can visit today

How Two Legal Acts Prohibited Slavery at Fort Snelling

The Northwest Ordinance of 1787 created the first laws for lands northwest of the Ohio River, including eastern Minnesota. It clearly stated: “There shall be neither slavery nor involuntary servitude in the said territory.”

When Missouri wanted to join the Union as a slave state in 1820, Congress passed the Missouri Compromise. This law banned slavery in northern territories, including where Fort Snelling stood.

Despite these two laws making slavery at Fort Snelling illegal, Army leaders actively encouraged officers to bring enslaved people to the fort for decades.

Army Officers Illegally Owning Slaves at Fort Snelling

Colonel Josiah Snelling, the fort’s commander, owned several enslaved people including women named Mary and Louisa.

He kept them as property even though the law said they should be free.

Army officers even got extra pay for keeping enslaved people. The military approved this practice, essentially using government money to support slavery.

Under Lieutenant Colonel Zachary Taylor’s command from 1828 to 1837, slavery at the fort reached its peak with up to 30 enslaved people. Taylor later became U.S. President.

The Biggest Slaveholder at Fort Snelling

Lawrence Taliaferro served as U.S. Indian Agent at Fort Snelling from 1820 to 1839. His job was to handle relations with the Dakota and Ojibwe peoples whose lands surrounded the fort.

He became the biggest slaveholder in the area, bringing enslaved people from his home state of Virginia. He often rented or sold these people to Army officers.

By 1835, Taliaferro owned at least 21 enslaved people.

Dred Scott’s Arrival at Fort Snelling

Dred Scott was born into slavery in Virginia around 1799. After several owners, he became the property of Dr. John Emerson, an Army surgeon.

In 1836, the Army sent Dr. Emerson to Fort Snelling, and he brought Scott along. Scott traveled hundreds of miles north into territory where slavery had been illegal for decades. Scott worked for Dr. Emerson at the fort for several years.

Harriet Robinson Scott’s Life at the Fort

Lawrence Taliaferro brought Harriet Robinson from Virginia to Fort Snelling around 1834. She worked as an enslaved person at the Indian Agency near the main fort.

Every day, Harriet cooked, cleaned, washed clothes, and did other household tasks. She lived in small quarters, usually attached to officers’ homes.

The Marriage of Dred and Harriet at Fort Snelling

Dred Scott and Harriet Robinson met at Fort Snelling and fell in love despite belonging to different owners. They decided to marry in sometime between 1836 to early 1837. Lawrence Taliaferro performed their wedding ceremony as justice of the peace.

This official marriage later helped their case for freedom. After the wedding, Taliaferro transferred Harriet’s ownership to Dr. Emerson, putting both Scotts under one owner.

They later had two daughters, Eliza and Lizzie.

The Scotts’ Life After Fort Snelling

The Scotts stayed at Fort Snelling until 1840, when the Army sent Dr. Emerson to Florida.

Instead of going south, the Scotts moved to St. Louis with Emerson’s wife Irene. Dr. Emerson died in 1843, and Irene inherited the Scott family. She rented them out to others for income for the next three years.

When Dred Scott tried to buy freedom for his family, Irene refused. This rejection pushed the Scotts to seek legal help in 1846, beginning their fight for freedom in the courts.

How Other Slaves at Fort Snelling Won Freedom

Before the Scotts, two enslaved women from Fort Snelling had already won freedom through Missouri courts. Their successful cases gave hope to the Scotts.

Rachel, owned by Lieutenant Thomas Stockton at Fort Snelling from 1830 to 1831, sued for freedom in St. Louis.

The Missouri Supreme Court freed her in 1836 because she had lived on free soil. Another woman named Courtney gained freedom right after Rachel’s victory.

Their cases established the “once free, always free” rule that the Scotts later used.

The Scotts’ Lawsuit and Legal Battle

In 1846, Dred and Harriet Scott sued Irene Emerson in St. Louis for their freedom. Their case was simple: they had lived at Fort Snelling where slavery was illegal, so they should be free.

Their lawsuit moved through many courts with mixed results. They won freedom in a lower court in 1850, but the Missouri Supreme Court reversed this decision in 1852.

The case then moved to federal court and eventually to the U.S. Supreme Court in 1856.

The Supreme Court’s Devastating Ruling

On March 6, 1857, the Supreme Court ruled 7-2 against the Scotts.

Chief Justice Roger Taney’s decision went far beyond just their case. Taney wrote that Black Americans “had no rights which the white man was bound to respect.”

He declared that Black people could never be U.S. citizens and had no right to sue in court. The Court also struck down the Missouri Compromise, saying Congress couldn’t ban slavery in any territory.

This decision shocked Northerners, deepened the nation’s divisions, and pushed America toward civil war.

Visiting Fort Snelling, Minnesota

You’ll find Historic Fort Snelling at 200 Tower Ave, St. Paul, MN 55111, where the Mississippi and Minnesota Rivers meet.

Military veterans and Native Americans receive free admission (walk-up only). The Plank Museum & Visitor Center offers exhibits about the fort’s history, including the Dred Scott story.

Read More from WhenInYourState.com:

• The Sacred Quarry That Native Americans Almost Lost to White Settlers & the Government in the 1850s
• Minnesota’s German Town Survived a Dakota War Siege That Nearly Wiped It Off the Map
• Anglers Travel Thousands of Miles to This Minnesota Town for Monster Muskies &Record Walleye