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Dred Scott v. Sanford*, 60 US 393 (1857)

In the Dred Scott decision, the Court held that slaves were chattel (property). Slaves, as well as people who had been slaves, or who descended from slaves, were not protected by the Constitution and could never be US citizens. Without citizenship status, African-Americans were denied access to the courts, and couldn't sue for their freedom, even if they had a contractual agreement granting them free status.

The Supreme Court also ruled that Congress had no right to prohibit slavery, nullifying the Missouri Compromise.

The Court's decision in this case was overturned by the Thirteenth Amendment, prohibiting slavery.

* The name Sanford is misspelled as "Sandford" in US Reports

Answer

That was the Dred Scott decision - concerning the status of a slave who had been taken on to free soil, and then back to slave country.

The Supreme Court declared that a black man should have no business suing a white man.

More ominously, it also ruled that slavery was protected by the Constitution. Taken literally, this would mean that there was no such thing as free soil.

These two aspects of the Supreme Court ruling helped to raise the temperature of the debate, and made war virtually inevitable.

For more information, see Related Questions, below.

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14y ago

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More answers

Dred Scott v. Sanford*, 60 US 393 (1857)

In the Dred Scott decision, the Court held that people who had been slaves, or who descended from slaves, were not protected by the Constitution and could never be US citizens. Without citizenship status, African-Americans were denied access to the courts, and couldn't sue for their freedom, even if they had a contractual agreement granting them free status.

The Supreme Court also ruled that Congress had no right to prohibit slavery, nullifying the Missouri Compromise.

The Court's decision in this case was overturned by the Thirteenth Amendment, prohibiting slavery.

* The name Sanford is misspelled as Sandford in US Reports

For more information, see Related Questions, below.

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15y ago
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In the famous Dred Scott decision, the US Supreme Court made some controversial declarations about slavery and property. The Court stated that slaves or freed slaves were not US Citizens and could not take a case to court. Because the US Constitution did not forbid slavery it was a "given" that slaves were "property" as sad as that seems.

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10y ago
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Dred Scott v. Sandford, 60 US 393 (1857)

For more information, see Related Questions, below.

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15y ago
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The 1857 verdict on Dred Scott, a slave who had once lived on free soil, and wanted to claim his freedom retrospectively.

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12y ago
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It would help if you say what country you are talking about.

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12y ago
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The Dred Scott case

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14y ago
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Dred scott v. sanford

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9y ago
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dredd scott decision

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7y ago
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Q: Which supreme court case ruled that slaves were property?
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