Civil rights lawsuits have been taking place in American courtrooms as early as 1857, when Dred Scott, a slave of African descent, tried to sue his owner, John Emerson. Scott was born a slave in Virginia and was sold to Emerson in 1832. He accompanied Emerson on military expeditions, married, and had a child in a free state during his travels. When Emerson died, Scott tried to purchase his freedom from Emerson's wife and maintained that his child was free, because she was born in a free state. Emerson's wife refused to let the sale occur and denied the free status of the child. Scott took his argument to court, where he was told that the federal government would not determine his freedom and that he could not legally sue in an American court because his status as a slave exempted him from American citizenship.