Final answer:
The Dred Scott v. Sandford case made the expansion of slavery into the West seem inevitable and deepened the sectional divide, paving the way for the Civil War.
Step-by-step explanation:
The Impact of Dred Scott v. Sandford
The 1857 Supreme Court ruling in Dred Scott v. Sandford made the spread of slavery into western territories seemingly inevitable. By deciding that Black people, whether enslaved or free, were not U.S. citizens and that Congress lacked authority to ban slavery in new territories, the decision effectively removed federal limitations on the expansion of slavery. This ruling deepened the sectional divide and set the stage for increased tensions leading up to the Civil War.
It especially impacted the Republican Party, which had aimed to prevent slavery's spread, and complicated the stance of northern Democrats like Stephen Douglas, undermining the concept of popular sovereignty. The case also shook the notion of the United States as a free country, enraging many in the North and giving fuel to secessionist fire-eaters in the South.