The Dred Scott decision, delivered by the Supreme Court in 1857, ruled that African Americans could not be considered citizens and that Congress had no authority to prohibit slavery in the territories. The North reacted with significant outrage and discontent.
Many in the Northern states viewed the decision as a blatant attempt to expand slavery and undermine the principles of freedom and equality that they valued. Abolitionists and anti-slavery advocates were particularly vocal in their condemnation, seeing the ruling as a direct threat to their efforts to abolish slavery altogether.
Moreover, it galvanized many who were previously indifferent to the slavery debate. The ruling prompted greater political activism among Northern populations, leading to increased support for the Republican Party, which opposed the spread of slavery. The decision intensified sectional tensions and contributed to the growing divide between the North and South, ultimately leading to the Civil War.