Dred Scott v. Sandford: A Prelude to the Civil War

This article will first review the foundational cracks that slavery left in the creation of the United States' Constitution. It will then examine the ensuing legislative efforts to contend with the political and societal consequences of the slavery divide. Next, it will discuss the history behind the Scott case, and the course and resolution of the case in the court system. It will then describe the notoriety of the case and the impact it had on the events leading up to the war.

It will conclude with an analysis of Dred Scott's position at the locus of only real conflict that caused the war: the geopolitical strife between the agrarian, slaveholding South, and the industrialized North.