Dred Scott Court Case What happened? Summarize the event!
The Dred Scott Court Case took place in 1857 in the United States. Dred Scott, an enslaved African American man, sued for his freedom in a federal court. Scott argued that since he had lived in both free and slave states, he should be considered a free man under the law.
However, the Supreme Court, under Chief Justice Roger B. Taney, ruled against Scott's freedom. Taney stated that enslaved people were property and had no rights, which meant they could not sue in court. The court also declared that Congress did not have the power to prohibit slavery in the territories, which violated the rights of slave owners.
The ruling was a significant blow to the abolitionist movement and led to heightened tensions between the North and South. It further deepened the divide over the issue of slavery and contributed to the growing tensions that eventually led to the American Civil War.