What significance did Dred Scott's decision have?

The United States Supreme Court issues a decision in the Dred Scott case, one of the most important cases in the court's history. In the ruling, the court ... Dred Scott was a slave whose owner, an army doctor, had spent time in Illinois, a free state, and Wisconsin, a free territory at the time of Scott's residence. read more

Dred Scott was a slave whose owner, an army doctor, had spent time in Illinois, a free state, and Wisconsin, a free territory at the time of Scott’s residence. The Supreme Court was stacked in favor of the slave states. read more

Prior to this Supreme Court Decision the political situation was held in check by a very tenuous compromise that had been enacted to attempt to keep the country from civil war. read more

The Dred Scott decision was the culmination of the case of Dred Scott v. Sanford, one of the most controversial events preceding the Civil War. read more

Decision meant that all territories were opened up to slavery once again; Northern lawmakers would not be able to keep slavery out of the territories. Lincoln-Douglas Debates Douglas and Lincoln ran for senator of Illinois; Doulas believed in popular sovereignty and Lincoln was against slavery. read more