Answer:
The Federal Government decision that determined slaves to not be considered citizens and therefore do not have the rights afforded to citizens under the constitution was the Supreme Court's ruling in Dred Scott v. Sanford.
Explanation:
Dred Scott was a slave belonging to the military surgeon John Sanford of Missouri. Scott wandered with his master and lived with him for some time in Illinois (free from slavery) and in Minnesota (slavery was abolished there in accordance with the Missouri Compromise). In 1846 both of them returned to their native state and Scott decided to submit an application to the court for recognition as a free man. He justified his petition by the fact that he was in free territory for a long time. Judicial practice was based on the assumption that the slave labor system could not be restored in any of the territories where it was outlawed.
For these reasons, Scott's longer detention in free states could have been the basis for changing his slave status. The first verdict in this case was issued by the Missouri state court in 1852, where Judge William Scott stated that the political situation had changed, so court rulings should also change in this matter. Wanting to change the behavior of local courts, Scott appealed to the Supreme Court, although he was aware of its pro-slavery composition.
The case was presented to the highest authority of the judiciary in 1856. President of the Court, Roger Taney, then formulated two legal problems. First, he questioned whether Dred Scott, being an African American, had the right to lodge a complaint. Secondly, he questioned which regulations should settle the question: state law or the Missouri Compromise. In the first doubt, Taney ruled that Scott could not apply to the Supreme Court because he was not a citizen. On the second issue, Taney considered that the Missouri Compromise was unconstitutional. He stated that Congress had no right to prohibit bringing slaves to any area without first instituting legal proceedings. The Supreme Court accepted Taney's motions and approved the sentence, by 7 votes to 2.
