PBS features a summary of the landmark Supreme Court case of Dred Scott v. Sanford which ruled that African Americans are not American citizens, and therefore could not sue in federal court. Decision written by Chief Justice Roger B. Taney.

This site from the Encyclopedia Wikipedia provides information on the Dred Scott case, as it progressed through the Missouri state court, the Federal court system, and the appeal that went to the Supreme Court.

Provides information on the life of Chief Justice Roger Brooke Taney. In particular, it describes his judicial career.

A list with descriptions of the major events that led up to the outbreak of the Civil War.

Outlines the political events prior to the Civil War as the United States expanded its territories to include new states and conflicts arose over the issue of slavery.

A listing of the most significant Supreme Court cases in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries with brief summaries of how they impacted on federalism.