LAD #18 Dred Scott Decision

The Court did not take into consideration the larger issues of black citizenship and the constitutionality of the Missouri Compromise, although it did rule in favor of Sanford. Supreme Justice Roger B. Taney was the one to review whether Dred Scott, a slave of African descent. Taney ended up deciding that as a slave Scott was not even a citizen of the United States. Therefore he had no right to even sue or bring his case to the court. Taney believed that Scott was "property" of whoever his owner was. This decision meant that all slaves were considered property and not citizens or humans. They had no personal liberties and were confined to their cages, ruled by their owners. Taney went on to say that Congress did not have the right to abolish slavery within the states. This would mean that the Missouri Compromise was unconstitutional. This was controversial since the issue of slavery was now to be debated even more hotly than before. It was to be debated since "slave" and "free" states that would be admitted to the country may disrupt the balance in Congress. Now they could not even keep the balance in Congress since Congress did not have the right to say slavery was not allowed in a state.