The United States Supreme Court and Dred Scott Essay Example
The United States Supreme Court and Dred Scott Essay Example

The United States Supreme Court and Dred Scott Essay Example

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  • Pages: 2 (307 words)
  • Published: April 16, 2022
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In 1857, the United States Supreme Court made a ruling in the Dred Scott case stating that Dred Scott should continue to be enslaved. The court's reasoning behind this decision was that as a slave, he did not possess citizenship and therefore could not bring legal cases to federal courts. Chief Justice Rogers B. Taney additionally highlighted that since slaves were seen as personal possessions, Scott had never known what it felt like to be free. As a result of this ruling, the Missouri Compromise of 1820 was deemed unconstitutional and it was determined that the Federal Government did not have authority to regulate slavery in newly acquired territories.

The Dred Scott v. Sandford case exacerbated the division between the North and South, bolstering support for slavery. It questioned the annulment of the Missouri Compromise and seemed to align with Southern perspectives on national power, empo

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wering them to promote slavery across the country. This ruling sparked fury among anti-slavery organizations, reinforcing the Republican Party and resulting in clashes between slaveholders and abolitionists at the frontier.

The Thirteenth, Fourteenth, and Fifteenth Amendments were passed by the Reconstruction Congress and ratified by the states following the Civil War. These amendments directly overturned the Dred Scott decision, which had significant implications. In 1854, the Republican Party was established with a mission to prevent the spread of slavery. After the war, they intensified their efforts to gain control of both Congress and the courts. Their well-organized political campaign in 1860, combined with divisive issues that caused a split in the Democratic Party, resulted in Abraham Lincoln's election as President of the United States and South Carolina's secession from the Union. The

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Dred Scott Decision played a role in pushing towards an impending Civil War. Presently, all individuals born or naturalized in America are recognized as American citizens with access to federal courts.

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