Scott v. United States was a Supreme Court case that addressed the issue of whether a person of African descent could be considered a citizen of the United States. The case was brought by Dred Scott, a slave who had been taken by his master to live in a free state. Scott argued that since he had been taken to a free state, he should be considered a citizen of the United States and thus be able to sue in federal court. The Supreme Court ruled against Scott, holding that African Americans were not citizens of the United States and thus could not sue in federal court. The Court also held that the Missouri Compromise, which had prohibited slavery in certain territories, was unconstitutional. This ruling was later overturned by the Fourteenth Amendment, which granted citizenship to all persons born or naturalized in the United States. The Scott v. United States case was a landmark decision in the history of civil rights in the United States. It was the first time the Supreme Court had addressed the issue of African American citizenship and it set a precedent for future cases. The ruling was eventually overturned, but it had a lasting impact on the civil rights movement and the struggle for equality in the United States.

In Scott v. United States, the Supreme Court was asked to determine whether a person of African descent could be considered a citizen of the United States. The majority opinion held that they could not, as Congress had never passed any legislation granting them citizenship rights. However, in his dissenting opinion Justice Field argued that while Congress may have failed to pass such legislation, it did not mean that persons of African descent were automatically excluded from being citizens under the Constitution's definition of "citizens". He further argued that if this interpretation was accepted then it would lead to an absurd result where people born in America and living there their entire lives would still be denied citizenship due to their race or ancestry. As such he concluded by asserting that all persons born within the jurisdiction of the United States should be considered citizens regardless of race or ancestry unless specifically excluded by law.