North 4th Street

Soon after its opening in 1845, the Old Courthouse held the first of the Dred Scott v. Sandford trials, in which Scott and his wife, Harriet, fought for their freedom from slavery. The Scotts lost the first 1847 trial, but won the second, which also took place in the Old Courthouse. The Missouri Supreme Court overturned the decision in 1852 and the United States Supreme Court denied the Scotts their freedom in 1857. The Dred Scott v. Sandford case represented the nation’s divide over slavery and contributed to the start of the Civil War. Another case of political and legal national significance started in the Old Courthouse. The Virginia Minor trial of 1872 involved a civil suit brought against the sixth district registrar who refused to allow Virginia Minor to register to vote in 1872. The decisions at the Old Courthouse, Missouri and United States Supreme Courts all failed to extend voting rights to women citizens.