Chief Justice Roger Brooke Taney (March 17, 1777–October 12, 1864)

The issue of whether or not the institution of slavery should be allowed in the territories was already a controversy when the Dred Scott v. John F. A. Sandford (Sanford's name was misspelled in the original court documents) case moved to Washington, DC. On March 6, 1857, the Supreme Court denied the Scotts their freedom. In this landmark decision issued by Chief Justice Roger B. Taney, the Court ruled that African Americans were not citizens and that Congress lacked the power to prohibit slavery in the territories. This controversial decision eventually contributed to the outbreak of the Civil War.