The result of the Dred Scott decision in 1857 was a reaffirmation of the constitutional right to own slaves. The Supreme Court ruled that Scott, an enslaved African American, was not a citizen and therefore had no standing to sue in federal court. Furthermore, the court declared that Congress had no power to prohibit slavery in the territories, thereby invalidating the Missouri Compromise of 1820. This decision ultimately fueled tensions leading up to the American Civil War.
