The Dred Scott Decision (landscapes in societal context)

The Dred Scott Decision of 1857 was a Supreme Court ruling that declared enslaved African Americans and those of African descent, whether free or enslaved, could not be American citizens and had no legal rights. It also stated that Congress couldn't prohibit slavery in U.S. territories, effectively allowing slavery to expand. This decision heightened tensions over slavery, contributing to the outbreak of the Civil War by denying the humanity and legal rights of Black people and fueling debate over racial inequality and states' rights in American society.