AP US History in 1 Minute Daily: Dred Scott Decision (Day 132/309)

Hey APUSHers, let’s chat about the Dred Scott Decision as part of my series- APUSH in 1 Minute Daily!

Portrait of Dred Scott, Wikimedia Commons

In 1857, a controversial proslavery Supreme Court ruling worsened the sectional crisis. Dred Scott, who was born an enslaved, sued for his freedom saying that he had become free when he was brought to the North.

Supreme Court Opinion in Dred Scott v. Sandford, Oyez

Chief Justice Roger B. Taney ruled against Scott. The majority opinion stated that the Constitution did not intend for African Americans to be citizens and only citizens had the right to sue at that time. 

Missouri Compromise, Britannica

Additionally, the Court determined that the Missouri Compromise was unconstitutional as it deprived persons of their right to property.

Dred and Harriet Scott Statue, Gateway Arch Park

This decision infuriated Northern Republicans as it opened the western territories to slavery. It increased fears of a slave power conspiracy by Democrats and increased support for the abolition movement.

Sectional tensions increased significantly with the Supreme Court decision in Dred Scott v. Sandford. Not only did it declare that African Americans did not have the rights of citizens but it also declared the Missouri Compromise to be unconstitutional.

Join me tomorrow as I explain John Brown’s Raid in the next APUSH in 1 Minute Daily!