What was the outcome of the Dred Scott v. Sanford case?

The outcome of the Dred Scott v. Sanford case reaffirmed the legality of slavery in the United States. This landmark Supreme Court decision, delivered in 1857, ruled that African Americans, whether enslaved or free, could not be American citizens and therefore had no standing to sue in federal court. The court also declared the Missouri Compromise unconstitutional, stating that Congress had no authority to prohibit slavery in the territories. This ruling had profound implications, as it effectively allowed for the continuation and even expansion of slavery, heightening tensions between slave and free states and paving the way for further conflict leading up to the Civil War.

The other options do not accurately reflect the ruling or its implications. The case did not abolish slavery, promote universal suffrage, or specifically focus on states' rights in the way that would enhance the individual rights of states over federal authority in the context of slavery. Instead, it solidified the federal endorsement of the institution of slavery and negated the attempts at limiting its spread into new territories.