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Dred Scott v. Sanford, was an 1857 Supreme Court decision that upheld white supremacy in the United States.
Dred Scott was an enslaved man who earned money to purchase his freedom, and that of his wife. When their owner refused, an abolitionist group caught wind of his situation and got involved. With their financial support, he sued for his freedom. The case would end up making its way to the Supreme Court.
The 1857 decision denied Scott and his wife their freedom. It also declared that Black people, free or enslaved, were NOT American citizens, and as such, had no protection under federal laws. They had no right to sue in federal court. The decision also stated that Congress had no right to ban slavery.
This decision would double down on enforcing slavery, reinforcing white supremacy, and making it easier to force freed and free Black people into or back into slavery, with no legal recourse.
It is important to note that the Chief Justice, Roger B. Taney, came from a rich, slave-owning family, and would end up siding with the Confederate States in the Civil War, so one might say he had a vested interest in the outcome, which might be construed as a conflict of interest. But what do I know???
This is by far, one of the most disgusting moments in American history...Here are more sources on this Supreme Court decision:
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