How did the Supreme Court decision in Dred Scott v. Sandford increase sectionalism?
*
A. It gave full citizenship to African Americans.
B. It allowed congress to prohibit slavery west of the Mississippi River.
C. It left all questions regarding slavery up to the executive branch.
D. It denied Congress the power to regulate slavery in the territories.
D. It denied Congress the power to regulate slavery in the territories.
The correct answer is D. It denied Congress the power to regulate slavery in the territories.
The Supreme Court decision in Dred Scott v. Sandford increased sectionalism by denying Congress the power to regulate slavery in the territories. This decision effectively ruled that slaves were property, not citizens, and that Congress could not prohibit slavery in the territories. This decision further divided the North and the South, as the North viewed it as a victory for the expansion of slavery, while the South saw it as a defense of their rights to own slaves. This deepened the divide between the two regions and heightened tensions leading up to the Civil War.