Which amendment overturned the Dred Scott decision?

The Fourteenth Amendment is crucial in overturning the Dred Scott decision because it fundamentally changed the legal status of African Americans in the United States. The Dred Scott decision, handed down by the Supreme Court in 1857, ruled that African Americans could not be considered citizens and therefore had no standing to sue in federal court. This landmark ruling denied citizenship rights and legal protections to all African Americans, deepening the racial divide in the country.

Ratified in 1868, the Fourteenth Amendment addressed this injustice by affirming that all persons born or naturalized in the United States are citizens. Furthermore, it provided equal protection under the law and due process to all citizens. This amendment directly countered the Supreme Court's previous rulings regarding citizenship and laid the groundwork for future civil rights advancements, asserting that the government could not discriminate against individuals based on race.

The other amendments listed do not address the citizenship issue established by the Dred Scott ruling. The Twelfth Amendment pertains to the electoral process, the Sixteenth Amendment deals with income tax, and the Eighteenth Amendment established Prohibition. None of these amendments impacted the legal status of African Americans or citizenship as the Fourteenth Amendment did.