___ Scott, whom the Supreme Court said was not free to sue for his freedom

DRED

This enslaved man's 1857 case became a landmark decision that worsened tensions before the Civil War by denying citizenship to Black Americans. His first name starts with a letter between C and E.

This clue refers to Dred Scott, an enslaved man who famously sued for his freedom in the 1857 Supreme Court case Dred Scott v. Sandford. The Court ruled against him, declaring that enslaved people were property and couldn’t be U.S. citizens, which worsened tensions before the Civil War. The blank in the clue signals you’re looking for his first name, a short and well-known historical figure. Just fill in "DRED" to match the answer length.