In the 1857 US Supreme Court decision that involved the Dredd Scott case, the Court stated the slaves were property and, also, they could never be US citizens. This pro-slavery decision would later require an amendment to the US Constitution in order to abolish slavery.
pro-savery
the fighting between proslavery and antislavery groups in Kansasthe violent clashes between pro slavery and antislavery groups in the Kansas territory.
Kansas earned the nickname bleeding Kansas because in may 1856 pro-slavery jurors charged antislavery leaders with treason. pro-slavery forces rode to Lawrence to arrest those charged. When they found the suspects had fled they burned the town
Reverend John Brown killed several pro-slavers in the Bleeding Kansas conflict and later staged a failed slave revolt at Harper's Ferry, Virginia. He was hanged as a criminal.
Reverend John Brown killed several pro-slavers in the Bleeding Kansas conflict and later staged a failed slave revolt at Harper's Ferry, Virginia. He was hanged as a criminal.
The Dred Scott decision.
When the US Congress passed the Kansas-Nebraska Act, it angered antislavery groups because they believed it would expand the institution of slavery in new States and Territories. That was because political leaders such as Senator Stephen Douglas and others believed in what was called popular sovereignty. This called for a vote among citizens as to whether slavery would be allowed in a given territory or State. The pro-slavery movement from the South was strong, thus abolitionists were concerned about the spread of this institution. The Dred Scott case was decided by the US Supreme Court. It was a long written decision that basically stated the slaves were property and that slavery was legal under the US Constitution. This was a blow to the antislavery movement.
Pro
pro-savery
The Dred Scott Case, during the Civil War, was a large controversy about African America rights and freedoms and whether they applied in "free states" that didn't allow slavery. See answer to "Who was Dred Scott" :)
Chief Justice Rodger B. Taney's ruling in The Dred Scott case stated that slaves could not legally claim violation of his constitutional rights because he has none because slaves were not considered citizens of the United States. Furthermore, he stated that Blacks were an inferior race and had "...no rights to which the white man was bound to respect." Because the Dred Scott decision was such a racist pro-southern one, this caused many Northerners to believe that the courts were corrupt and therefor lacked the power to serve justice. The US Supreme Court decision, by itself however, did not point to a slave power conspiracy. And it should be noted that the general uproar was generated by Northern abolitionists, not the ordinary Northern citizen.
The election of Lincoln to the presidency was considered to be both pro-slavery and antislavery. However, he was predominantly supported by antislavery forces because he fought for abolition.
the fighting between proslavery and antislavery groups in Kansasthe violent clashes between pro slavery and antislavery groups in the Kansas territory.
1.) Slaves are not citizens and can't sue. 2.) Slaves are property. 3.) Slavery should be legal everywhere. It left the decision to allow slavery or not, up to the territories This would have tipped the scales of representation in favor of the pro-slavery South.
Since the Dred Scott decision said the government had no right to outlaw slavery in the western territories, abolitionists saw this as more slave states, which would mean more pro-slavery members of Congress and greater difficulty getting any anti-slavery legislation passed. In addition, since the High Court had already drew a pro-slavery line in the sand, the legal system was no longer working on their side.
The Dred Scott decision by the US Supreme Court strengthened the cause of pro slavery people, especially in the South. As a subjective answer to this, I maintain that the Court decision did not affect, or bring the USA to Civil War. There is no evidence to the contrary. Therefore I stand on this opinion.
the fighting between proslavery and antislavery groups in Kansasthe violent clashes between pro slavery and antislavery groups in the Kansas territory.