4x Which BEST describes a result of the Supreme Court's decision in the Dred Scott case? A slave had the right to sue for freedom in a federal court. B A slave was only a citizen after he or she purchased freedom. A slave was not a citizen but rather the property of an owner. D A slave who lived on free soil for any length of time was free.

## Step 1<br />The Dred Scott case, also known as Dred Scott v. Sandford, was a landmark decision by the United States Supreme Court in 1857. The case involved Dred Scott, an enslaved African American man who had sued for his freedom on the grounds that he had lived in a free state and a territory where slavery was prohibited.<br />## Step 2<br />The Supreme Court ruled against Dred Scott, stating that as a slave, he was not a citizen and therefore had no right to sue in federal court. This decision reinforced the notion that slaves were property rather than individuals with rights.<br />## Step 3<br />The ruling also declared that Congress did not have the power to prohibit slavery in the territories, which further escalated tensions leading up to the American Civil War.<br />## Step 4<br />Given this context, the option that best describes the result of the Supreme Court's decision in the Dred Scott case is that a slave was not a citizen but rather the property of an owner.