Slaves as Property, Biased Ruling, and Individualism vs Community

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Homework 3 Part I: Dred Scott v. Sandford, March 6, 1857
Summary
* Conclusion of Majority Opinion
* Slaves as property – the majority ruled that Scott was a property and could not and could never be US citizen thus lacking the right to sue in any federal court
* Slaves in free states were not entered to freedom - US supreme court ruled (7-2) that Dred Scott, a slave, who had resided in a free statue not entailed to freedom
* Missouri comprise was unconstitutional – it was argued by the majority that the Missouri compromise (1820) which declared all territories in the west of Missouri was unconstitutional (Hudson Jr).
* Conclusion of Dissenting Opinion
* African American’s are legal US citizens - Curtis in particular undercut most of Tawney’s historical arguments, by showing several instances where African Americans had voted in a number of states at the founding.
* Ruling was biased – Curtis and McLean argued that the majority ignored precedent, imposed rigid construction of US constitution, distorted history, and skewed meaning of constitution to justify their case (Urofsky).
* Voting and suing in federal courts – dissenting opinion could not understand how African Americans citizens of US could not be, yet they had voted and even had their cases heard in courts
Homework 3, part II Chapter 5 Culture: Individualism vs community
* Individualism vs. Community
* Individualism is founded on the notion that each and every person progresses through individual efforts, based solely on focus, dedication, personal decisions, and effort
* Community argues that achievements come as a result of common values, mutual support, and shared knowledge.
* American history is characterized with elements of both individualism and community.
* The individual vs community debate is like a pendulum, pushed from one side to the other by leaders, social actors, and activists (Putnam 161).
* Over the years, the idea of creating a good society has increased with both community and individual expected to play a vital role.
* With increased rates of unemployment, crumbling economist, ecological disasters, homelessness, and wars, our responses as humans have alway...