Justice Benjamin Curtis's dissent in the case was notable because he pointed out that:
Show answer and explanation
Correct answer: Free African Americans were citizens in several states at founding
Justice Curtis argued that at the time of the Constitution's ratification, free Black men had the right to vote and were considered citizens in five states. This historical fact directly contradicted Taney’s claim that African Americans were never intended to be citizens.
Keep practicing
More Dred Scott v. Sandford questions
- In the context of the Dred Scott case, what does the term 'obiter dictum' refer to?
- What was the 'Freeport Doctrine' and how did it relate to the Dred Scott case?
- Why did the Supreme Court take the Dred Scott case despite the Missouri Supreme Court already ruling against Scott?
- How did the Dred Scott decision affect the 1860 Presidential Election?
- Which specific clause of the Constitution did Taney interpret as protecting a slaveholder’s right to bring property into any territory?
- What happened to Dred Scott shortly after the Supreme Court issued its ruling?