description Roger Taney Overview
Roger Brooke Taney was an American lawyer and public official who served as the fifth chief justice of the United States from 1836 until his death in 1864. He had earlier been U.S. attorney general and secretary of the Treasury under President Andrew Jackson. Taney wrote the Supreme Court's majority opinion in Dred Scott v.
Sandford (1857), which held that people of African descent could not be U.S. citizens and that Congress could not bar slavery from U.S. territories. [Oyez](https://www.oyez.org/justices/roger_b_taney)
help Roger Taney FAQ
Who was Roger Taney?
Roger Brooke Taney was an American lawyer and public official who became the fifth chief justice of the United States. He served from 1836 until his death in 1864.
What positions did Roger Taney hold before becoming chief justice?
Taney served as U.S. attorney general and later as secretary of the Treasury under President Andrew Jackson. Those roles came before his appointment to the Supreme Court.
What Supreme Court case is Roger Taney associated with?
Taney wrote the majority opinion in Dred Scott v. Sandford, a decision issued in 1857. The ruling denied citizenship rights to African Americans and is widely regarded as one of the Court's most infamous decisions.
How long was Roger Taney chief justice?
Taney served as chief justice from 1836 to 1864, a period of roughly 28 years. His tenure covered major constitutional conflicts before and during the American Civil War.
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