mar 6, 1857 - Dred Scott v. Sanford (The Dred Scott Decision)
Description:
Dred Scott, an enslaved black, sued for his freedom because his master had taken him to and from a free state. The supreme court ruled, controversially, that blacks lacked the citizen's right to sue, and that the government had no right to restrict the expansion of slavery (thus nullifying the Missouri Compromise). North-south sectionalism grew as northerners opposed to the expansion of slavery decried this precedent.Added to timeline:
Date:
mar 6, 1857
Now
~ 168 years ago