AMSCO AP United States History Exam (APUSH) – Period 5 Practice Test

Roger Taney was the Chief Justice who authored the majority opinion in the Dred Scott v. Sandford case in 1857. This landmark decision held that African Americans, whether enslaved or free, could not be American citizens and therefore had no standing to sue in federal court. Additionally, Taney's opinion asserted that the federal government had no power to regulate slavery in the territories, thereby emphasizing the protection of property rights, which included the right of slave owners to their "property."

The Dred Scott decision had profound implications by reinforcing the institution of slavery and highlighting the contentious issues around states' rights and federal authority leading up to the Civil War. This ruling was a central moment in the legal history of the United States, reflecting the tensions between free and slave states, and it ultimately contributed to the growing divide that led to the Civil War.