The Dred Scott Decision

The Dred Scott Decision was a landmark Supreme Court case decided in 1857 that had a profound impact on the status of enslaved individuals in America. Dred Scott, an enslaved man, sued for his freedom, arguing that he had lived in free territories.

However, the Supreme Court ruled that Scott was not a citizen and therefore could not sue in federal court. This decision stated that Congress could not prohibit slavery in the territories, further deepening the divide between the North and South and igniting outrage among abolitionists.