Dred Scott Decison

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Dred Scott v. Sandford

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Scott v. Sandford
Argued February 11–14, 1856 Reargued December 15–18, 1856 Decided March 6, 1857
Full case name	Dred Scott v. John F. A. Sandford
Holding
Judgment reversed and suit dismissed for lack of jurisdiction. 1. Persons of African descent cannot be, nor were ever intended to be, citizens under the U.S. Const. Plaintiff is without standing to file a suit. 2. The Property Clause is only applicable to lands possessed at the time of ratification (1787). As such, Congress cannot ban slavery in the territories. Missouri Compromise is unconstitutional. 3. Due Process Clause of the Fifth Amendment prohibits the federal government from freeing slaves brought into federal territories.
Court membership
Chief Justice Roger B. Taney   Associate Justices John McLean · James M. Wayne John Catron · Peter V. Daniel Samuel Nelson · Robert C. Grier Benjamin R. Curtis · John A. Campbell
Case opinions
Majority	Taney, joined by Wayne, Catron, Daniel, Nelson, Grier, Campbell
Concurrence	Wayne
Concurrence	Catron
Concurrence	Daniel
Concurrence	Nelson, joined by Grier
Concurrence	Grier
Concurrence	Campbell
Dissent	McLean
Dissent	Curtis
Laws applied
post-war Reconstruction Amendments. It is now widely regarded as the worst decision ever made by the Supreme Court.[3][6][7]