LAD/Blog #19: The Dred Scott Decision

At first, the Dred Scott vs. Sanford case was ruled in favor of Sanford.  However, the original decision did not factor in important details such as to the constitutionality of the Missouri Comprise, and other issues concerning racial discrimination. In his final ruling, Supreme Court Chief Justice Taney stated that real citizens of the U.S. (in this case slave owners) could not be deprived of life, liberty, or property anywhere in the U.S., including American territories. As slaves were not distinguished from other forms of property, and the Missouri Compromise deprived slave holding citizens of their "property", the Missouri Compromise was thus declared unconstitutional.





The Dred Scott vs. Sanford case reminded me about the Fugitive Slave Act of 1850 because both ensured that slaves were still considered to be property and inhuman.