Final answer:
In the 1857 Dred Scott ruling, the Supreme Court decided that Black individuals could not sue for freedom as they were not U.S. citizens and that the Missouri Compromise was unconstitutional, leaving Congress without power to limit slavery's expansion in the territories.
Step-by-step explanation:
The United States Supreme Court concluded in its 1857 ruling on the Dred Scott case that Dred Scott, an enslaved African American, had no legal right to sue for his freedom in federal court because, according to the court, Black individuals, whether enslaved or free, were not citizens of the United States. The court also determined that the Missouri Compromise was unconstitutional, stating that Congress lacked the power to prohibit slavery in the territories. This landmark decision indicated that slaves could not be freed simply by virtue of living in a free state or territory and that the federal government did not have the authority to regulate slavery in the territories.