Dred Scott Decision Essay

Arsh Parmar History 110-01 Book Essay #1: Abraham Lincoln.

1. What is the difference between a. and a. The main conflict between the North and the South that led to war. a. What was the Kansas-Nebraska Act (1854)? The Kansas-Nebraska Act was a law passed in 1854 that organized the territories of Nebraska and Kansas and left the status of slavery in those territories within the hands of the “popular sovereignty,” which essentially made the residents responsible for the decision. This bill was sponsored by Senator Stephen Douglas, who presumed that any conflict would be avoided if the sovereignty made the decision on slavery, a presumption that backfired and led to great strife between pro and anti-slavery factions at that time. This was because …show more content…
b. What was the Dred Scott decision (1857)? The Dred Scott decision was a judgement made by the Supreme Court in 1857 that officially invalidated the Missouri Compromise of 1920. Chief Justice Roger Taney declared that Black people had no observable rights, and that outlawing slavery was a violation of the Fifth Amendment of the Constitution. This decision would undeniably lead to slavery spreading everywhere, an outcome that Lincoln vehemently refused to accept. c. Why did they bring Lincoln back into national politics? Overall, both the 1854 Act and 1857 Decision fueled Lincoln’s eventual reentry into national politics as both clashed with his vision of a slavery-free nation. Lincoln considered the Missouri Compromise sacred as it barred the spread of slavery in the designated territories. The Kansas-Nebraska act, although without direct intent, led to the invalidation of the Compromise. Despite the act being limited to the two new territories, it was a foreboding event that risked slavery spreading into other states. This pressed him to reenter politics, as abolition was his primary goal. His mission was further invigorated by the Dred Scott decision. He condemned it, as it explicitly denied the rights of Black people, and he believed that the Supreme Court should not practice

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