Dred Scott Case

Dred Scott was a slave who was living with his master who had moved up into the free states for three years, Dred Scott figured that if he were to go into court against his master and say that since he was living in a free state for over a year he was now a free slave so he did. The case of Dred Scott started out in with appeals and court reversals till finally it was sent up to the Supreme Court who decided that he is not a free slave and is property of his master. This case caused two things, one was that the Supreme Court had too many slave state opinions, and secondly it gave the Supreme Court the opportunity to introduce the Dred Scott Decision stating that all blacks-- slaves as well as free -- were not and never could become citizens of the United States and therefore could not sue in cort. (more in depth info: here )