Question

All of the following about the Dred Scott vs Sandford (1857) case are true EXCEPT:
A) The resulting decision denied civil rights and citizenship status to ALL African-Americans.
B) It ruled the Missouri Compromise unconstitutional.
C) It was actually thrown out by the Supreme Court and so a decision should not actually have been written.
D) It declared Congress had no right to make laws regarding where slavery could or could not exist.
E) The resulting decision solidified American's faith in the judiciary branch.

Answer 1

Hint: The Dred Scott case, known as Dred Scott v.s Sandford, was a ten-year struggle for freedom by Dred Scott, a Black enslaved man. The case went through numerous courts before reaching the United States Supreme Court, whose judgement enraged abolitionists, fueled the anti-slavery movement, and served as a prelude to the Civil War.

Complete answer:
The Dred Scott decision is a legal case in which the United States Supreme Court declared on March 6, 1857, that a slave who lived in a free state or territory where slavery was outlawed was not entitled to his freedom as a result. Furthermore, African Americans were not and could never be citizens of the United States. The decision fueled sectarian strife and brought the country closer to civil war.

Let us now analyze the given options:
A) The resulting decision denied civil rights and citizenship status to ALL African-Americans: Scott's case made it to the United States Supreme Court, which held that he was not entitled to his liberty and, more broadly, that African Americans were not citizens of the United States. Thus, this is a true statement regarding the case and is the incorrect option.

B) It ruled the Missouri Compromise unconstitutional: The Missouri Compromise, which declared all regions west of Missouri and north of latitude 36°30′ free, was made invalid by ruling in the Dred Scott v Sandford (1857) case. This is a true statement. Thus, this is an incorrect option.

C) It was actually thrown out by the Supreme Court and so a decision should not actually have been written: The Supreme Court determined that African-Americans, whether free or slave, could not sue in federal court since they were not citizens of the United States. Because it was overturned by the Supreme Court, a decision should not have been published. Hence, this is not the correct option.

D) It declared Congress had no right to make laws regarding where slavery could or could not exist: The Supreme Court also concluded in Dred Scott vs. Sandford that Congress lacked the authority to prohibit slavery in US territories. Hence, this option is incorrect.

E) The resulting decision solidified American's faith in the judiciary branch: The final decision for Dred Scott vs Sandford (1857) case is considered as the Court's worst mistake ever. So, it doesn't solidify American's faith in the judiciary branch. Thus, this is a false statement and this is the correct option.

The correct option is E) The resulting decision solidified American's faith in the judiciary branch. That is, the false statement is that the resulting decision solidified American's faith in the judiciary branch.

Note: Dred Scott was an enslaved man who travelled with his master, an army surgeon, to free states and territories before returning to the slave state of Missouri. Scott and his wife petitioned for their freedom in 1846 in a St. Louis court, alleging that their presence in a free zone had freed them from slavery bonds.