1857 Decision

The 1857 "Decision" typically refers to the Supreme Court's ruling in the case of Dred Scott v. Sandford. The Court decided that African Americans, whether enslaved or free, could not be considered citizens and had no legal right to sue in federal courts. It also declared that Congress could not prohibit slavery in existing territories, effectively allowing slavery to spread. This decision intensified national divisions over slavery and contributed to the tensions that led to the Civil War. The ruling was highly controversial and is now regarded as one of the most unjust in U.S. history.