The Supreme Court's decision in the Dred Scott v. Sandford case ruled that African Americans, whether enslaved or free, were not citizens and therefore could not sue in federal court. The Court also declared the Missouri Compromise unconstitutional, stating that Congress did not have the authority to prohibit slavery in the territories. Finally, the decision effectively denied the right of Congress to regulate slavery and found that slaves were considered property, not people. This decision was highly controversial and worsened tensions between the North and South leading up to the Civil War.
