Court Case1857
Dred Scott v. Sandford Decision
The Supreme Court ruled that African Americans, whether enslaved or free, could not be American citizens and had no standing to sue in federal court. The decision also declared the Missouri Compromise unconstitutional.
Why It Matters
This infamous decision inflamed tensions over slavery, contributed to the outbreak of the Civil War, and was later overturned by the 13th and 14th Amendments.