Roger Taney

My name is Roger Taney and was born in Maryland to wealthy slave owning parents. I was the second born child so I could not expect to inherit any land so I decided to make my living practicing law. I attended Dickinson College and I graduated first in my class. After I graduated, I married the sister of Francis Scott Key in 1806. At age 22 I began my political career by being elected to the House of Delegates in Maryland. After I was defeated for reelection in 1801, I returned to practicing law until 1823. After the Federalists decided to be against the War of 1812, I change to Democratic Party. In 1827 I was appointed Attorney General of Maryland and then US Attorney General in 1831. I helped Jackson fight the war against the National Bank. The Senate allowed me to become Chief Supreme Court after Marshall. I reversed many of Marshall's rulings that I believed to be incorrect. My decision for the Dred Scott Case was thought by many to be an unjust use of judicial power. I continued to serve as Justice until my death in 1864.

On the issue of slavery, I was took a proslavery position. I believed that the slave owner had a right to their property and Congress had no power to take that right away. I also believed that Congress had no power to prohibit the expansion of slavery into new territories. I denied a Missouri slave freedom and denied any black free or slave to ever gain citizenship. I believed this because the black race was unfit and too inferior to be associated with the white race in any way what so ever.

Taney had a reason for his beliefs and it was because his parents had own slaves and he went on to own slaves himself. He was taught as a young boy that slaves were inferior and were property, not people. He still had no right to make rulings based on what he was taught and could have waivered from his old beliefs and come to the conclusion that slaves are people. I think that his rulings were unjust and wrong, I do not agree in any way with his beliefs. Slaves are as much people as any white man so they deserve the same rights and opportunities.

Roger Taney was the fifth Chief Supreme Court Justice. He took a proslavery position on the issue of slavery. He reversed many rulings and made many ruling that were very controversial. Many believed that he miss used his judicial power in his rulings. I do not agree with his decisions on slavery. He should have come to realize that slaves are not property, but people like any white man. Many rulings were wrong and I think he miss used his power as a Chief Supreme Court Justice.

Bibliography

"Roger B. Taney Biography." BiographyBase. N.p., n.d. Web. 29 Nov 2011. <http://www.biographybase.com/biography/taney_roger_b.html>.

Huebner, Timothy. "Roger B. Taney and the Slavery Issue: Looking beyond--and before--Dred Scott."Oxford