What was the impact of the Dred Scott v. Sandford decision on abolitionists?

• A. It provided momentum to the anti-slavery movement.
• B. It undermined abolitionist efforts by supporting slavery.
• C. It affirmed that protests could change federal policy.
• D. It led to immediate emancipation in northern states.

Answer: (A)

The key idea here is how a Supreme Court ruling can shift the energy of a social movement. The Dred Scott decision declared that African Americans could not be citizens and that Congress could not ban slavery in the territories. That outcome angered abolitionists and many in the North, who saw slavery’s spread as a moral and political injustice. Rather than slowing abolitionism, the ruling mobilized it—fueling intensified activism, more anti-slavery publications, and political organization that helped drive the formation of a party focused on stopping the expansion of slavery. It did not bring immediate emancipation in the North, and the other options don’t fit: the decision did not affirm that protests change federal policy, nor did it deliver emancipation right away.