Genealogy resources help us find ancestors—but there is more to it than that. If we allow it, family research and the stories of our ancestors have the ability to bring people together. Lynne M. Jackson, founder and president of the Dred Scott Heritage Foundation, and one of the keynote speakers at the 2024 RootsTech conference, shared the ancestral story of her great-great-grandfather, an enslaved man of historical renown. Her story of researching into her ancestor's past and learning more details about his path to freedom reminds us all that “it takes both sides to come together.”
Watch Lynne Jackson’s inspiring keynote address for free online, or read more about it below.
The Beginning of a Genealogical Journey
Ms. Jackson shared that, in the year 1995, she heard God tell her to study her ancestor, Dred Scott. Who is Dred Scott, you might ask? The average person in the United States may recognize the name as a historical figure—an enslaved man involved in a significant Supreme Court slavery case from the 1800s. As one of his descendants, however, Lynne agreed with the divine direction she had been given, feeling she should know more than the average person.
If a prompting from God wasn’t enough, Lynne was further told by her own father (the family historian) “Lynne, you are the only one who can do this.” Encouraged by this to find out more about her family history, she began her quest to discover the significance of her ancestor’s experiences. From her research, Lynne gained an even greater respect for the dedicated efforts of her ancestors. “None of us really understood…how courageous and how amazing our ancestors really were, to do what they did all those many years ago,” she said. “Dred and Harriet Scott fought for their freedom, which became the freedom of so many other people, but they had an 11-year ordeal with 5 court proceedings, that took them all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court.”
The Story of Lynne’s Ancestor, Dred Scott, and His 11-Year Fight for Freedom
Dred Scott was born in South Hampton, Virginia. Ms. Jackson shared that during her extended research into Dred’s life, she learned he was actually born with the name “Sam,” but was later known as Dred. He was born, raised, and grew into adulthood as a slave worker on the plantation of Peter and Elizabeth Blow. Of the 11 children born to Peter Blow, all were raised to treat slaves well and later refused to own slaves. Several of them, including Taylor, Henry, and Charlotte Blow, were instrumental in helping Dred and Harriet Scott pursue their later suit for freedom, despite the Blows not owning Scott at the time.
Residing in Free Areas of the United States and Starting a Family
In the early 1830s, Peter Blow died, and Dr. John Emerson, an army surgeon, purchased Scott. When Emerson’s unit moved to Illinois (a free state), Scott went with him. When Dr. Emerson was moved to a new post in the territory west of the Mississippi (where slavery had been barred by the Missouri Compromise), Scott moved there too. It was there he met and married his wife, Harriet. Dred and Harriet later had their first daughter while being transferred back to their slaveholder’s home in Missouri.
Ms. Jackson shared that the Scotts eventually had 2 daughters, Eliza and Lizzie. For a long time, the Jackson family actually thought they were descended from the wrong daughter, but digging into the genealogy uncovered that they were descended from Eliza, the first daughter.
A Bid for Freedom
In 1846, having spent time in and lived in free states, both Dred and Harriet filed cases to the court in St. Louis, Missouri, beginning an 11-year court battle to sue for their freedom. Eventually, their case was held up in front of the United States Supreme Court, to this day being known around the nation as Dred Scott v. Sandford. Supreme Court Chief Justice Roger Taney dismissed their case from the court, declaring that African Americans were not citizens and had no rights under the United States Constitution, further stating that Congress had no power to pass laws limiting slavery. That decision became a catalyst for the United States Civil War.
Freedom Came from an Unexpected Source
Although being denied freedom in the Supreme Court, a miracle was in the works for Dred through Peter Blow’s family, Dred’s original owners. Dred and Harriet were eventually deeded to Taylor Blow, who paid $1,000 each to free them. This happened just before Dred passed away in 1858. This is quite a story. After fighting for 11 long years, 5 court proceedings and being denied by the Supreme Court, Dred and Harriet Scott were finally given their freedom by the children of their previous owners.
The Impact of the Dred Scott Case
According to Ms. Jackson, Abraham Lincoln decided not to get out of politics when he heard the Scotts’ story, instead becoming president of the United States. After the Civil war, Lincoln put into place the 13th amendment abolishing slavery. This amendment would eventually overturn the Dred Scott decision with the 14th amendment, which gave citizenship to all who were born in the United States, especially including all enslaved individuals.
Help from a Genealogist in Doing the Scott Family Genealogy Research
Ms. Jackson gives thanks to Ruth Ann Hager, a certified genealogist, for discovering some of the previously unknown or little known information about Dred and Harriet, and their 2 daughters. Ruth Ann wanted to write a brief pamphlet on Harriett and had somehow gotten in contact with Ms. Jackson. Lynne gave her one name, that of her great-grandfather, Wilson Madison. Using that information to identify the right Harriet in historical records, Ruth Ann discovered so much back story that the pamphlet eventually became a book, one very much worth reading. Dred and Harriet Scott: Their Family Story gives us the full story of this amazing, historical family.
Lynne M. Jackson’s Mission of Honoring Her Ancestors—Together with the Other Families
Lynne M. Jackson has spent her life telling the story of her ancestors. Her great-great-grandfather’s story is one of courage and faith to claim one's right to freedom by the law of the land, and by the conviction that all human beings have the dignity and right to stand up for their freedom.
Jackson created the Dred Scott Heritage Foundation in 2006, commemorating the 150th anniversary of the Dred Scott court decision. Remembering Dred Scott and his story, the organization was founded on 3 powerful pillars: commemoration, education, and reconciliation.
Descendants from 3 families involved in Dred Scott’s case—the Scotts (Lynne Jackson and her family), the Blows (descended from Dred’s initial slaveholder), and the Taneys (descended from Chief Justice Taney)—have given incredible examples of reconciliation. Ms. Jackson shared during her keynote that on top of ensuring Dred’s freedom, Taylor Blow later made sure Dred’s body was moved from a cemetery that was about to be abandoned. Mrs. Harrison, a granddaughter of Taylor Blow, also paid for a beautiful headstone to mark and pay tribute at the grave of Dred Scott, whose grave had remained unmarked for a long time.
Lynne Jackson has also worked with Charlie Taney, the great-great nephew of Chief Justice Taney, telling the story of how their families eventually came together. Charlie offered a public apology to the Scott family on March 6, 2017. Lynne expressed to Charlie that an apology was not necessary. The Jackson family did not hold the Taney family responsible for their ancestor’s actions. Charlie Taney, however, felt it was a necessary step in moving forward. “Reconciliation comes through one side admitting a wrong was committed and the other side being willing to forgive,” Jackson stated.
Note: The quote and some of the additional context above comes from an interview with Lynne Jackson.
Concluding Thoughts
Along with a great lesson in history, Lynne M Jackson gave us important information. Her closing words of advice included:
“I want to encourage everybody out there…. Do your homework. We found out that 2 babies were buried with Dred and Harriet in their graves. We did not know that until Ruth Ann Hager started to do her work. So be encouraged. Use the resources that are here, and love one another and enjoy this journey. RootsTech 2024 is an amazing thing, and we are so blessed to be here today.”
Although RootsTech 2024 is over, you can find free recorded sessions from this genealogy conference in the RootsTech On-Demand Library.
Lynne Jackson’s genealogy journey is a beautiful story. We don’t often hear stories like this—ones that express forgiveness and coming together all included in an incredible lesson of the history of our nation. You can still watch her presentation here, for free:
More about Lynne M. Jackson
Ms. Jackson is a remarkable woman, holding a bachelor of science in business administration and marketing from Southern Illinois University Edwardsville. She is also a graduate of Alleda Ward Wells Piano Studio of St. Louis. Serving on many boards, in leadership positions, and as a businesswoman, Jackson is well-rounded and experienced, using her platform to advocate for civil rights. Visit DredScottLives.org to learn more about her and her work.
What is RootsTech?
RootsTech is a place to learn, be inspired, and make connections through family history. Hosted by FamilySearch and sponsored by other leading genealogy organizations, we have hundreds of expert classes, tips and tricks videos, and inspiring stories that can help you experience family history like never before. Visit our on-demand learning library or make plans to join us for our next virtual or in-person conference event.
