The Dred Scott v. Sanford court case was very influential in deciding issues surrounding slavery. In February 1857, the Supreme Court headed by Supreme Curt Justice Roger B. Taney, reviewed whether African-American slave Dred Scott was free or not. He had crossed into a free-state and believed that this meant he was no longer a slave to his master. Taney decided that Dred Scott was not allowed to even bring this to court because he was not a citizen, but instead "property" of his owner. This decision meant that all slaves were considered property, regardless of what individual states viewed them as, and they can not be defended in court. Taney went on to say that Congress did not have the right to abolish slavery within the states. Finally, he concluded saying that slaves could not be taken from their owners without due process. These decisions were very influential leading many historians to believe that it was the trigger for the Panic of 1857.
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