This Guy Sucked Roger B. Taney with Melissa Murray
Feb 19, 2026
Melissa Murray, NYU law professor and constitutional scholar, breaks down Roger B. Taney’s rise from Maryland lawyer to chief justice. Short takes cover his shift toward states’ rights, key pro-slavery rulings, the Dred Scott decision’s citizenship and territory claims, and the political backlash that sped the nation toward war.
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Petticoat Affair Helped Taney's Career
- Taney benefited from the Washington 'Petticoat Affair' realignment that elevated Martin Van Buren and opened cabinet slots.
- Jackson appointed Taney to serve as Attorney General and later gave him key support despite Senate pushback.
Constitutional Clauses Protected Slaveholders
- Article IV and the Fugitive Slave Clause embedded protections for slaveholders that produced legal clashes with northern states.
- Prigg v. Pennsylvania and later federal rulings strengthened federal fugitive-return mechanisms and intensified sectional tensions.
Jurisdiction Hinged On Citizenship
- Dred Scott's claims rested on 'once free, always free' after living in free territory, sparking federal jurisdictional fights.
- The case raised whether an enslaved person could be a U.S. citizen and thus access federal courts.