the decision made slavery legal in all us territories that were not yet states
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The Dred Scott vs. Sanford case was decided in March of 1857 by the United State Supreme Court, led by Chief Justice Roger B. Taney. In this decision, it was declared that all blacks, slaves as well as free , were not and could never become citizens of the United States.
Dred Scott was born a slave in Virginia between 1795 and 1800. In 1846 he sued his owner for his freedom. The lawsuit was dismissed. In 1853, he sued again, this time in federal court. The defendant was John Sanford, the executor of John Emerson's estate (Emerson was Scott's owner). The Supreme Court found in favor of Sanford by a vote of 7-2.
The Supreme Court declared Scott was a free man
The historical impact of this case was that after the Civil War, the federal gov. moved to abolish slavery with the 13th Amend.(1865) and then to extend state and national citizenship with the 14th Amend.(1868) to "all persons born or naturalized in the United States. It's now pointed to as a new lesson on the limits of the Supreme Court's power, as a key step on the road to the Civil War, and as one of the worst decisions ever made by the Supreme Court.
Dred Scott v. Sanford