Black Americans Not Citizens and Cannot Sue

On March 6, 1857, the United States Supreme Court issued a landmark decision ruling that black Americans are NOT citizens and thus, cannot sue. It was the case of Dred Scott versus Sandford. The Courts opinion concluded that black people could not be citizens under the United States Constitution because at the time of its signing they had no rights which the white man was bound to respect. For more historical narratives on Slavery in America, see: Moments In Civil Rights History - First Enslaved Africans in America Moments In Civil Rights History - Law Allows "Owners" to Kill Slaves Moments In Civil Rights History - Congress Bans International Slave Trade Moments In Civil Rights History - The Emancipation Proclamation