Ace the Civic Literacy Challenge 2025 – Unlock Your Citizen Superpower!

The case that focused on whether an enslaved person, having lived in free territory, should be free is Dred Scott v. Sandford. This landmark decision was delivered by the Supreme Court in 1857 and is significant in the history of U.S. law. The Court ruled that Dred Scott, an enslaved man who had lived in free territories, did not have the right to sue for his freedom. The ruling stated that African Americans, whether free or enslaved, could not be considered American citizens and therefore had no standing to bring a case to court.

This case is crucial because it highlighted the legal and social status of African Americans at that time and ultimately intensified the national debate over slavery, contributing to the tensions that led to the Civil War. Understanding the Dred Scott decision helps to grasp the complexities of citizenship, legal rights, and the impact of Supreme Court decisions on social justice issues in American history.