Slavery, Law, and Politics: The Dred Scott Case in Historical Perspective

'Slavery, Law and Politics' is an abridged version of Don Fehrenbacher's 1978 magnum opus 'The Dred Scott Case: Its Significance in American Law and Politics.' While it is a technically challenging book for the average reader of historical jurisprudence, its an indispensible resource for understanding the dynamics of the Supreme Court's decision in the Dred Scott case given the historical milieu just before the Civil War. Fehrenbacher pulls no punches, ripping into the Taney court which issued one of the most shameful decisions in the Court's history. Of interest is the 'scorecard' Fehrenbacher keeps of the different aspects of the decision, clarifying the historical ambiguities of what the court really decided. In all, a complex, gratifying read. The original, fully annotated version of the book, unfortunately, is out of print..