The Dred Scott v. Sandford case is a well-remembered case because of the controversy it caused within the country. The opinions of the court of the case have still continued to be thought about to this day. The case did a multitude of harm to slavery and the rights of black people during that time.
Dred Scott v. Sandford was about a black person named Dred Scott who was a slave. In 1852 he sued to become a free man. Scott argued with the court to say that since he had lived in both free and slave states throughout his life there was reason for him to justify the idea of him becoming free. Since Dred Scott lived for a long period of time in Illinois and the Wisconsin Territory, he believed legally he should be a free man.
The case ended up reaching the Supreme Court, where Chief Justice Roger B. Taney delivered the majority opinion. It was ruled that since Scott was a person of African descent, he was not considered a citizen and therefore did not have the right to bring a lawsuit in federal court. The decision made by the court did not just affect Dred Scott, but it also affected all African Americans who sought hope of becoming free.
This case advanced slavery in a multitude of ways. One of the biggest advancements from this case is that the decision effectively denied African Americans legal standing in the United States. By denying African Americans the legal rights they needed to have any humane life it ended up invalidating the Missouri Compromise of 1820. Witch had restricted the expansion of slavery into certain territories.
When this case was overruled, it had been declared that slavery could potentially exist in any federal territory allowed. This decision ultimately opened the door for the expansion of slavery and by doing so it created more of a divide between the Northern and Southern states. While people in the south celebrated this victory, people in the north thought because of this ruling there was a pro-slavery bias in the federal government.
This case contributed to the overall tensions and division in the United States over the issue of slavery in the years leading up to the Civil War. Overall, the case of Dredd Scott v. Sandford showed how important the case actually was. The case also confirmed thoughts about how slaves were property under the U.S. Constitution.
It is important to look at the overall picture of this case to fully understand its importance in the United States. The Dred Scott v. Sandford case will always be remembered in history as the case that urgently affected the thoughts and views of slavery back in 1857. Although this case took away slave's rights and did a lot of harm if this case never got to the supreme court, there would be a chance of not having a Civil War meaning there would be a chance of the North and South staying divided.
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