In the landmark case Dred Scott v. Sandford (1857), the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that African Americans, whether free or enslaved, could not be American citizens and therefore had no standing to sue in federal court. Additionally, the Court declared the Missouri Compromise unconstitutional, asserting that Congress lacked the authority to prohibit slavery in the territories. This decision heightened tensions over slavery and contributed to the onset of the Civil War, as it effectively expanded the reach of slavery into new territories. The ruling was later rendered moot by the 13th and 14th Amendments, which abolished slavery and established citizenship rights for all persons born in the U.S.
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