Question

Read the passage from the opinion of the court in Dred

Scott v. Sandford, written by Justice Taney.
The question before us is, whether the class of
persons described in the plea in abatement compose a
portion of this people, and are constituent members of
this sovereignty? We think they are not, and that they
are not included, and were not intended to be
included, under the word "citizens" in the Constitution,
and can therefore claim none of the rights and
privileges which that instrument provides for and
secures to citizens of the United States. On the
contrary, they were at that time considered as a
subordinate and inferior class of beings, who had been
subjugated by the dominant race, and, whether
emancipated or not, yet remained subject to their
authority, and had no rights or privileges but such as
those who held the power and the Government might
choose to arant them..
What is Taney's claim in this passage?
O that Black people were covered by the Constitution's
definition of citizen
O that emancipated Black people had rights
guaranteed by the government
O that Black people were not part of the group
considered citizens by the Constitution
that Black people would have to get the
government's permission to be citizens
Submit

Answer 1

Justice Taney claims that Black people were not considered citizens by the Constitution.

Step-by-step explanation:

Justice Taney's claim in this passage is that Black people were not part of the group considered citizens by the Constitution. He argues that they were seen as a subordinate and inferior class of beings who had been subjugated by the dominant race. Therefore, according to Taney, Black people could not claim any of the rights and privileges provided by the Constitution to citizens of the United States.

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