With support from the University of Richmond

History News Network

History News Network puts current events into historical perspective. Subscribe to our newsletter for new perspectives on the ways history continues to resonate in the present. Explore our archive of thousands of original op-eds and curated stories from around the web. Join us to learn more about the past, now.

Statue of Dred Scott Justice Taney to remain

A sculpture of Supreme Court Chief Justice Roger Brooke Taney, who wrote the Dred Scott decision affirming slavery, would remain in front of Frederick City Hall under a compromise backed by the local NAACP and the mayor.

A new plaque would describe the Maryland native's career and the landmark 1857 ruling that some historians consider a catalyst for the Civil War.

The wording of the plaque hasn't been decided, but Guy Djoken, president of the Frederick County chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, said it will be thorough.
Read entire article at Washington Times