Dred Scott was an enslaved American who unsuccessfully sued for freedom in the 1857 Dred Scott v. Sandford decision. His case helped set the stage for the Civil War and intensified debates over citizenship and slavery in the United States.
The United States marks its semiquincentennial while commentators insist America is still a work in progress. The nation has celebrated, debated, and confronted its founders’ legacy, with civics, law, and culture in the spotlight.
The Supreme Court has upheld birthright citizenship, rejecting an executive order that would have stripped citizenship from children born to non-citizens. The majority emphasizes the long-standing link between birthplace and rights, while dissenters argue the decision reflects a narrower view of the citizenship clause.