Roswell Field Lesson Plan

Students will learn about the life of Roswell Field, most famous for his work on the Dred Scott Case. Roswell was born into a family of lawyers in Vermont before moving to St. Louis. His ability to fluently read several languages and his attention to detail led him to practicing mostly in land disputes before becoming involved in the Dred’s case. After reading a brief summary on Roswell Field, students will use their critical thinking skills to answer questions. Plus students can enjoy a short video from the Old Courthouse where two of the cases took place.

Show-Me Standards
Social Studies:
2. Continuity and change in the history of Missouri, the United States, and the world
3. Principles and processes of governance systems
6. Relationship of the individual and groups to institutions and cultural traditions
7. The use of tools of social science inquiry (such as surveys, statistics, maps, documents)

Objectives
1. To educate students on the history of Roswell Field, a prominent lawyer for the Dred Scott Case.
2. To improve student’s ability to read and analyze a document and be able to infer and answer
questions.
3. To give students an idea of how a lawyer chose the defense they did for the Dred Scott Case.

Activity
Read and take notes over the “Brief History of Roswell Field.” Use what you learn to answer the
questions that follow.

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