This is about the Dred Scott Case.

Question

Who was involved in this case? What happened in this case?
Use the sentence starters. Write 2-3 sentences.
In the Dred Scott Case...
This was important because...

Answer 1

In the Dred Scott Case, Dred Scott, an enslaved African American man, sued for his freedom after living in free territories with his owner, John Emerson. This was important because the Supreme Court, in its 1857 decision, ruled that Scott was not a citizen and had no right to sue, effectively stating that Congress could not prohibit slavery in the territories. The ruling further deepened the sectional divide in the United States and escalated tensions leading up to the Civil War.