What was the significance of the Dred Scott Decision?

The Dred Scott Decision, delivered by the Supreme Court in 1857, is significant primarily because it denied citizenship rights to African Americans. The case involved Dred Scott, an enslaved man who sued for his freedom on the grounds that he had lived in free territories. The ruling concluded that Scott and all other African Americans—whether enslaved or free—could not be considered citizens of the United States. This decision reinforced the legal standing of slavery and further intensified the sectional tensions leading up to the Civil War, as it indicated that the federal government had no power to regulate or restrict slavery in the territories.

The other choices highlight important issues in American history but are not directly relevant to the Dred Scott case. Segregation was later addressed in the landmark case of Brown v. Board of Education, women gained the right to vote through the 19th Amendment, and judicial review was established by the case of Marbury v. Madison. The Dred Scott Decision's legacy centers on its role in shaping the rights of African Americans and the political landscape of the time.