March 6, 1857 | Dred Scott Decision
On March 6, 1857, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled against Dred Scott when it issued the Dred Scott decision.

Dred Scott
In Dred Scott v. Sandford, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that enslaved or free African Americans could not be American citizens. The 7-2 decision by the nation’s highest court defeated Scott’s suit to acquire his freedom along with that of his wife and two daughters. His owners had taken him to free states and territories.
![See page for author [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons HarrietScott1857](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/24/HarrietScott1857.jpg)
Harriet Scott, wife of Dred Scott. June 27, 1857
![By McGhiever (Own work) [CC BY-SA 4.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0)], via Wikimedia Commons Dred & Harriet Scott Quarters](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/1b/Dred_%26_Harriet_Scott_Quarters.jpg/512px-Dred_%26_Harriet_Scott_Quarters.jpg)
Restored quarters believed to have been occupied by Dred & Harriet Scott 1836–1840, Fort Snelling, Minnesota, USA