The Dred Scott decision was a landmark ruling by the Supreme Court in 1857 that declared enslaved African Americans were not citizens of the United States and therefore had no rights. Additionally, it stated that Congress did not have the power to regulate slavery in the territories, which further deepened sectional tensions.
Related terms
Missouri Compromise: An agreement reached in 1820 that temporarily settled the issue of slavery expansion by prohibiting slavery above a certain latitude line (36°30’N) in new territories.
Popular Sovereignty: A principle that allowed people living in an area to decide whether or not to permit slavery through voting.
Kansas-Nebraska Act: An act passed in 1854 that repealed the Missouri Compromise and allowed popular sovereignty to determine if Kansas and Nebraska would allow slavery. This led to violent conflicts between pro-slavery and anti-slavery groups.