What was the primary legal conclusion of the Dred Scott Decision?

The primary legal conclusion of the Dred Scott Decision was that Dred Scott was a slave without the right to sue. This landmark ruling, delivered by the Supreme Court in 1857, held that African Americans, whether free or enslaved, could not be considered U.S. citizens and therefore had no standing to bring a case to court. The decision effectively meant that Scott, as a slave, could not claim any legal rights under U.S. law, reinforcing the institution of slavery and denying basic legal protections to enslaved individuals.

This ruling had significant implications for the legal status of African Americans and heightened tensions leading up to the Civil War. The court's decision also declared the Missouri Compromise unconstitutional, which had previously restricted slavery in certain territories. However, the key aspect of the ruling was the affirmation that Scott, as a slave, could not initiate a lawsuit, as it underscored the lack of legal rights afforded to enslaved people at the time.