Roger Taney increased regional tensions due to his ruling in the Dred Scott vs. Sandford case.
Dred Scott was a slave who sued for his freedom since his master and him lived in a territory that outlawed slavery. Scott said because he lived in a territory that outlawed slavery that he should be free. However, Roger Taney and the other justices ruled that slaves are property, not people. This means they had no legal rights which "white men are bound to respect." Ultimately, this decision made it so slave owners could bring their slaves anywhere in the US. This caused significant problems between the North and South.