Question

The ________ ___________ Case called into question slavery, state's rights, and federal power. It began as a plea for one man's freedom from slavery. The Supreme Court ruled in favor of protecting slavery, some say the Court's worst decision. What case is being referred to in this statement?

a) Dred Scott v. Sandford
b) Brown v. Board of Education
c) Plessy v. Ferguson
d) Marbury v. Madison

Answer 1

The case in question is Dred Scott v. Sandford, a pivotal Supreme Court decision that protected slavery and increased pre-Civil War tensions in the United States.

Step-by-step explanation:

The case being referred to in the statement is Dred Scott v. Sandford. This landmark Supreme Court decision in 1857 sparked substantial controversy regarding slavery, federal authority, and citizenship. The Court ruled with a 7-2 majority that Dred Scott, an enslaved African American, was not a U.S. citizen and therefore had no standing to sue in federal court for his freedom. The ruling also declared that Congress did not have the power to prohibit slavery in U.S. territories, effectively striking down the Missouri Compromise as unconstitutional. This decision exacerbated tensions between northern and southern states, impacting the events that led up to the American Civil War.