Dred Scott decision: Quick Facts

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Also Known As	Dred Scott v. Sandford • Dred Scott v. John F.A. Sandford
Date	March 6, 1857

The original majority opinion was supposed to be written by Justice Samuel Nelson and simply argue that the case belonged not in the federal courts but in the state court.
President James Buchanan actually influenced Justice Robert Grier of Pennsylvania to join the southerners in the majority so that the decision would look less regional.
The Supreme Court at the time was stacked in favour of slavery, with five of the nine justices coming from southern states and another one firmly proslavery.