Dred Scott Case

Dred Scott was a former slave who ran away to the north and settled in Illinois for a few years. Later, he moved back to Missouri to sue for his freedom in the Dred Scott Case(1857). Unfortunately, Chief Justice Taney was pro-slavery and denied Scott his freedom. Taney’s reasoning was that Dred Scott was a slave and slaves were not citizens of the U.S., therefore he cannot sue. This angered the north because the court’s decision had said that Blacks free or enslaved could not be considered as people. And they allowed slavery to be permitted in all territories. Even if a slave escapes to free soil, they are still considered property.