history classroom 108 Dr Scott versus Sanford 1857 was a landmark Supreme Court case in which Dr Scott an enslaved African-American man sued for his freedom arguing that his residence in a free state and territory made him free the court led by Chief Justice Roger be teny ruled against Scott declaring that African-Americans whether enslaved or free could not be American citizens and therefore had no standing to sue in federal court additionally the Court ruled that Congress lacked the power to prohibit slavery in US territories effectively nullifying the Missouri Compromise of 1820 the decision intensified National divisions over slavery contributing to the onset of the Civil War it is widely regarded as one of the worst Supreme Court decisions in US history for its defense of slavery and its denial of citizenship and human rights to African-Americans