Dred Scott v. Sanford established that persons of African descent were not citizens; which description best captures the outcome?

• A. Citizenship in the state where they resided
• B. Not citizens and thus rights were not guaranteed
• C. Citizenship only for free states
• D. Citizenship automatic if born in the United States

Answer: (B)

The key idea is that the Dred Scott decision held African descent individuals could not be citizens of the United States. Because citizenship was denied, they were not entitled to the constitutional rights and protections that accompany citizenship in federal matters, which is why the outcome is described as “not citizens and thus rights were not guaranteed.” The other descriptions don’t fit because the ruling did not grant citizenship based on where someone lived (state residency), nor did it limit citizenship to free states, and it did not recognize birth in the United States as automatic citizenship at that time (that principle would come later with the 14th Amendment).