state of Illinois and the Wisconsin territory, where the Northwest Ordinance and the Missouri Compromise prohibited slavery. Scott claimed that his residence was in a free state and a free territory had made him a free man. The majority of the Court decided against Scott claiming that 1. Scott had no right to sue in a federal court because the Framers of the Constitution did not intend people of African American decent to be U.S. citizens. 2. Congress did not have the power to deprive any person of property without due process of the law; and, if slaves were a form of property, then Congress could not exclude slavery from any federal territory. A lot of Southerner Democrats were thrilled with the Courts ruling. Republicans denounced the Dread Scott decision of the "greatest crime in the annals of the republic." Though the Dred Scott decision was considered a 'crime in the annals of the republic,' many wondered if Buchanan had planned the Dred Scott Decision. After all it did occur right after he was inaugurated into office. The Dred Scott Decision helped disunify the country because it was just the beginning of the slavery questions that would go on for years to come .The decision increased northerners suspicions of a slave powered conspiracy and 'induced' thousands of former Democrats to vote Republican. The Dred Scott Decision helped lead to disunify the country and the Constitution as well did popular sovereignty.Presidents in the early years did not have great qualities of leadership nor did they receive high standings from others. When elected President, 'Millard Fillmore gladly supported the Compromise of 1850 which had been drafted by Henry Clay.' However, when Fillmore decided to try and enforce the Fugitive Slave Law, he received nothing but criticism from northern abolitionists. Franklin Pierce, our country's 17th president, was dominated by southerners such as Jefferson Davis and William Marcy, both of whom hoped to maneuver ...
