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American Experience

What Was the Dred Scott Decision?

Clip: Season 25 Episode 12 | 2m

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In 1857 the Supreme Court ruled against Dred Scott, a slave who sought freedom via the courts. With the ruling the Court radically altered not just the battle over slavery, but the status of every black person in America.

Aired: 01/22/13 | Rating: NR

Corporate sponsorship for American Experience is provided by Liberty Mutual Insurance. Major funding by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation.

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The Chinese Six Companies

On May 28, 1900, San Francisco policemen formed a perimeter around Chinatown as officials diagnosed bubonic plague in the neighborhood and wanted to quarantine the nearly 20,000 residents. As tensions flared, an influential group of merchants known as the Chinese Six Companies sprang into action.

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