Education Rather Than Removal

Thanks for posting this, Kevin. I live near Frederick and have always felt perturbed at the town's recognition of such an infamous character (in my opinion, of course!). I've tried to place it in historical context, but even then I've never wrapped my mind around the bust at city hall, museum at his house, roads and locations named after him, etc. Finally, there is - as you stated - something to recognize the "voice" of those so horribly affected by Taney's decisions. (For the record, locals pronounce it TAW-ney, in case anyone was wondering.) One satisfaction is knowing that he is buried in a town cemetery that also provides a final resting place for many African-Americans; one such burial is that of a black soldier from the War of 1812. I know it may be wrong, but this irony has often given me a smug satisfaction. This leads to my question: Do you know if this was common practice in the mid-late 19th century? That is to say, is it not unique for a white man of Taney's 'stature' to lie buried with African-Americans in a small-town cemetery? Again, thanks for the informative post!

It's not uncommon for African Americans to be buried with whites, particularly in southern church plots (given that in the South, as John Boles has shown, churches were sometimes amazingly bi-racial and equitable). It should be noted, however, Taney is buried in the Catholic cemetery in Frederick not one of the public cemeteries, so all the interments fall under that church's decision-making process (private entity, and that particular church has always had space issues in their cemetery).

As for Kevin's original thought, I agree totally that explaining both sides of the story is the most important thing to do with memorials (I'm originally from Frederick as well). Taking down the statue, monument, or other commemoration merely erases an opportunity for dialogue and education. And while I am in no way defending Taney or his Dred Scott ruling, Taney had a long and important career in politics (law partner of Francis Scott Key, key player in the U.S. Bank controversy with Andrew Jackson, and as a Supreme Court justice) and there is nothing wrong with remembering him or discussing him as a local notable as long as we remember all sides of the story and talk about the implications of that history (then and now).

Excellent points. Furthermore, the Taneys were an important family in Maryland, not just Roger, and Roger married the sister of his great friend, Francis Scott Key. I still think the best work on Dred Scott is the one by the late Don Fehrenbacher.

I should point out the brand new biography, Mrs. Dred Scott: A Life on Slavery's Frontier (Oxford University Press) http://www.amazon.com/Mrs-Dred-Scott-Slaverys-F...

Thanks so much for the response. I agree with you re: the importance of considering Taney's public career in its entirety.

Nice to hear from someone in the Frederick area. Unfortunately, I am unable to respond to your question, but one of my readers may know something.