Final answer:
The Dred Scott case was a 1857 Supreme Court decision that denied African Americans citizenship and the right to sue. It intensified the conflict over slavery and played a role in the start of the Civil War.
Step-by-step explanation:
The Dred Scott Case
The Dred Scott case was a landmark Supreme Court decision in 1857 that declared African Americans, whether free or enslaved, were not citizens of the United States and had no rights to sue in federal court. The case was initiated when Dred Scott, an enslaved man, sued for his freedom after his owner took him to live in a free state and a free territory. The decision further inflamed tensions over slavery and ultimately contributed to the outbreak of the Civil War.
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