On this day, March 6, in 1857

The Supreme Court issued their decision on Dred Scott vs. Sandford. The Dred Scott decision ruled that people of African descent, whether they were enslaved or not, could never be citizens of the United States. This was a huge setback to the rights of African Americans considering that some black men in five of the original states had been full voting citizens since the Declaration of Independence. The decision ended up strengthening Northern opposition to slavery and encouraged secessionist elements in the South. This court case contributed to much of the Pre-Civil War tension.