The Dred Scott decision was a landmark ruling by the U.S. Supreme Court on March 6, 1857. The Court ruled that Dred Scott, an enslaved man who had lived in a free state and territory, was not entitled to his freedom. The decision stated that as a slave, Scott was considered property and not a citizen, so he could not sue in federal court. The ruling also declared that Congress had no authority to prohibit slavery in the federal territories, invalidating the Missouri Compromise of 1820. Additionally, the Court held that African Americans could never become U.S. citizens. This decision intensified sectional tensions and pushed the nation closer to the Civil War. It is widely regarded as the worst Supreme Court decision ever made and was ultimately overturned by the 13th and 14th Amendments to the Constitution, which abolished slavery and recognized citizenship rights for all persons born in the United States.