Roswell Field (March 31 1814 – July 27 1890) was an American attorney, legislator, and political figure notable for his involvement in the Dred Scott litigation that culminated in the 1857 Supreme Court decision Dred Scott v. Sandford. He served one term as a United States Representative from Illinois and was active in the Free Soil and Republican movements of the mid‑ninteenth century.
Early Life and Education
Roswell Field was born in Auburn, New York, to Eli Field and Hannah (Robinson) Field. He pursued legal studies through apprenticeship, a common practice of the period, and was admitted to the bar in 1839. Following his admission, Field relocated to Chicago, Illinois, where he established a private law practice.
Political Career
In 1848, Field was elected as a Democrat to the Thirty‑first Congress, representing Illinois’s 1st congressional district. During his term (March 1849 – March 1851), he supported measures opposing the extension of slavery into the territories, aligning with emerging anti‑slavery sentiments. He was not re‑elected in 1850, after which he returned to his legal practice and became increasingly involved with the Free Soil Party, which opposed the expansion of slavery.
Involvement in the Dred Scott Case
Field’s most historically significant contribution was his role in the Dred Scott case. In 1852, he was retained by Dred Scott’s owners, the Blow family, to represent Scott’s claim for freedom based on his residence in free territories. Field drafted the petition for a writ of habeas corpus that led to the 1853 Scott v. Emerson decision in the Missouri Supreme Court, which initially ruled in Scott’s favor. Although the Missouri decision was subsequently reversed, Field’s legal strategy and the arguments he formulated formed the basis of the case when it was appealed to the United States Supreme Court in 1857. The Court’s ruling, Dred Scott v. Sandford, denied citizenship to African Americans and declared the Missouri Compromise unconstitutional, intensifying national tensions over slavery.
Later Career and Death
After the Dred Scott decision, Field continued his legal practice in Chicago and remained active in Republican politics. He served as a delegate to the 1856 Republican National Convention and supported the party’s anti‑slavery platform. Field retired from active practice in the 1880s. He died on July 27 1890 in Chicago and was interred at Oak Woods Cemetery.
Legacy
Roswell Field is remembered primarily for his legal work on the Dred Scott case, which has been cited as a pivotal moment in the lead‑up to the American Civil War. Historians regard his drafting of the case’s initial petitions as a significant legal maneuver that shaped the national debate over slavery and citizenship. His brief congressional service and involvement in early Republican politics also reflect the political realignments of the 1850s.