Which of the following was NOT a part of Taney's majority opinion in the Dred Scott case?
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Correct answer: States can abolish slavery within their own borders
While Taney focused heavily on the federal government's inability to stop slavery in territories, the ruling actually suggested that the status of African Americans was so low that they had no rights anywhere. The decision primarily aimed to restrict federal, not state, power over the institution.
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More Dred Scott v. Sandford questions
- The Dred Scott v. Sandford case is an example of which of the following judicial philosophies?
- On what primary legal basis did Dred Scott argue for his freedom before the Supreme Court?
- What was Chief Justice Roger B. Taney's ruling regarding the citizenship of African Americans?
- The Dred Scott decision declared which major 19th-century act of Congress unconstitutional?
- Which constitutional amendment was used by the Court to argue that Congress could not prohibit slavery in the territories?
- What was the immediate political consequence of the Dred Scott decision for the Democratic Party?