DRED SCOTT CASE, a notable case before the Supreme Court of the United States in 1856. A negro called Dred Scott, with his wife and two children, had been held as slaves by a Mr. Emerson in Missouri. After Dr. Emerson's death, Scott and his family claimed to be free, as having resided with their owner in a free territory. The decision was hostile to their claim, and they were held to be still slaves.