In 1857 the Supreme Court decision in the Dred Scott case affirmed that slaves were classified as property without human rights (option c). According to the Supreme Court any African descendent, slave or not slave, was not considered an American citizen. Besides, the Congress didn't have the right to abolish slavery in the federal territories of the nation. Consequently, the slave owners had the right to sent their slaves to the Western territories. By doing so, the Popular Sovereignty and Slavery doctrine which stated that the new territory legislature had to decide by vote whether or not slavery would be approved was denied by the decision of 1857.
