mar 6, 1857 - Dred Scott v. Sandford

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A landmark Supreme Court decision that severely limited black rights.

Dred Scott was a slave that lived in a free state for over 10 years, in which time he married and had a child. After a time, his master took him back to a slave state. Scott sued for his freedom, and took the case to the Supreme Court. The Court, headed by Chief Justice Roger B. Taney, ruled 6-3 that black Americans could not become citizens (so could not bring cases before the courts), slaves living in free states could not become free, and Congress restricting slavery would be unconstitutional, causing the Missouri Compromise to be effectively repealed.

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