Read the passage from the opinion of the court in Dred
Scott v. Sandford, written by Justice Taney.
The question before us is, whether the class of persons
described in the plea in abatement compose a portion
of this people, and are constituent members of this
sovereignty? We think they are not, and that they are
not included, and were not intended to be included,
under the word "citizens" in the Constitution, and can
therefore claim none of the rights and privileges which
that instrument provides for and secures to citizens of
the United States. On the contrary, they were at that
time considered as a subordinate and inferior class of
beings, who had been subjugated by the dominant
race, and, whether emancipated or not, yet remained
subject to their authority, and had no rights or privileges
but such as those who held the power and the
Government might choose to grant them.
Which statement best serves as a counterclaim to the
claim in this passage?
O Taney fails to provide any actual evidence for his
statements that Black people were universally
considered inferior.
O Taney cannot use states' rights to claim that the
plaintiff is not a citizen, because citizenship is
federal.
O Taney's argument that emancipated people were still
controlled by White people is false because they
were free.
O Taney's argument that Blacks were not citizens is
false because their ancestors were forced to come
here.

In the Dred Scott v. Sandford case, Chief Justice Roger Taney argued against the citizenship of African Americans in the U.S., denying them rights and privileges. The decision highlighted the unequal treatment of Blacks and the struggles for equal rights during that time. The introduction of the Citizenship Clause aimed to rectify this injustice.

Explanation:

Chief Justice Roger Taney argued in the Dred Scott v. Sandford case that African Americans were not considered citizens of the United States, hence denying them the rights and privileges of citizenship. This decision reinforced the idea that Blacks, whether enslaved or free, could not become full and equal members of the American political community.

Taney's assertion that Blacks were excluded from constitutional protections and deemed inferior is challenged by the alternative view that all individuals should be entitled to equal rights and liberties under the law, regardless of their race or background.

Furthermore, the Citizenship Clause was introduced as a response to the Dred Scott case, establishing that African Americans are indeed citizens and entitled to the rights and immunities protected by the Constitution.

Learn more about Dred Scott v. Sandford case here:

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