The Supreme Court's 1857 decision in Dred Scott v. Sandford was one of its most unpopular. Just eleven years after it was issued, the decision was effectively overturned by the Fourteenth Amendment. What did the Court conclude in the case of Dred Scott v. Sandford?

Question

A.
Slavery could not be abolished by amending the US Constitution.

B.
Children of freed slaves were the property of the original slaveholder.

C.
Neither free nor enslaved African Americans could become US citizens.

D.
Slaves could only buy their freedom with money they earned themselves.

Answer 1

The correct answer is:

C. Neither free nor enslaved African Americans could become US citizens.

In the Dred Scott v. Sandford decision, the Supreme Court ruled that African Americans, whether free or enslaved, could not be considered American citizens and thus had no standing to sue in federal court.