Dred Scott was an enslaved man who had been taken from Missouri to Illinois and Wisconsin, both free states. He sued for his freedom on the grounds that he had become free by living in free territory. The case made its way to the Supreme Court, which ruled in favor of the slave owner.
The Court held that African Americans were not citizens of the United States and therefore could not sue in federal court. This decision was based on the premise that African Americans were considered property, not people, and therefore had no rights under the Constitution.
The Dred Scott decision was met with outrage by abolitionists, who condemned the Court for sanctioning slavery. The decision also deepened tensions between the North and South, as many Northerners believed that it violated the principles of freedom and equality on which the United States was founded.
The Dred Scott decision was overturned by the Civil War, which led to the abolition of slavery in the United States. The case remains an important reminder of the long and difficult struggle for civil rights in America.
