How did the ruling in the dred Scott case affect the slavery debate?

The Dred Scott v. Sandford ruling in 1857 intensified the slavery debate by declaring that African Americans, whether enslaved or free, could not be considered American citizens and therefore had no legal standing to sue in federal court. Additionally, the Supreme Court ruled that Congress lacked the authority to prohibit slavery in the territories, effectively invalidating the Missouri Compromise. This decision deepened sectional tensions between the North and South, galvanized anti-slavery sentiment, and propelled the nation closer to civil war.