Dred Scott Decision Timelines: The Catto Years

The landmark United States Supreme Court ruling in the Dred Scott v. Sanford case declares that blacks, free or slave, have no citizenship rights. This was a major blow to Northern free blacks, especially in areas where they had been granted citizenship rights, including the right to vote. In most states voting was based on paying taxes. Consequently, the rights of middle class and elite blacks were being infringed.