LAD #18: Dred Scott Decision

In the case of Scott vs Sanford, Chief Justice Roger Taney made two important court decisions that would anger abolitionists and anti-slavery activists across the nation. He stated that Negroes did not receive the full benefits of the Constitution as they had come from another country as slaves. And, thereby could not sue in a federal court. Second, Roger Taney declared the Missouri Compromise unconstitutional, saying if a citizen takes his slaves into a free land, he cannot have them removed as that would be denying that citizen his property. Taney finished with crushing Scott's last hope for freedom by saying that if a slave runs away to a free state it is based on the laws of that state whether or not to send him back. The overall outcome of this case was that the court was in favor of Sanford and the Missouri Compromise was declared unconstitutional.