description Roger B. Taney Overview
Roger B. Taney (1777–1864) was a Maryland lawyer and Democrat who served as the fifth Chief Justice of the United States from 1836 until his death, appointed by President Andrew Jackson. Earlier, as Treasury Secretary, he helped implement Jackson's removal of federal deposits from the Second Bank of the United States. His majority opinion in Dred Scott v.
Sandford (1857) held that African Americans were not citizens and could not sue in federal court, a ruling widely criticized before the Civil War.
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Who was Roger B. Taney?
Roger B. Taney was a Maryland lawyer and Democrat who served as the fifth Chief Justice of the United States. President Andrew Jackson appointed him, and he served from 1836 until his death in 1864.
What is Roger B. Taney best known for as Chief Justice?
Taney wrote the majority opinion in the 1857 Dred Scott v. Sandford decision. The ruling denied citizenship to Black people and declared that Congress could not prohibit slavery in the territories.
What did Roger B. Taney do as Treasury Secretary?
As President Jackson's Treasury Secretary, Taney helped implement the removal of federal deposits from the Second Bank of the United States. The policy became part of the Bank War.
Why is Roger B. Taney a controversial historical figure?
His role in Dred Scott made him a central figure in the legal history of slavery and the American Civil War era. In 2020, Maryland removed his statue from the grounds of the State House in Annapolis.
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