In the early Middle Ages, people lived by a social system known as . Within this system, people received protection from invaders in exchange for their loyalty and obedience. At the top of the system was the
, who gave land to nobles in exchange for knights to fight in his wars. The
were at the bottom. They paid taxes in exchange for protection.

Which statement in the passage best reflects sumer's opinion of the dred scott decision? a."i speak what cannot be denied." b."[the] judgment was sustained by a falsification of history." b."the opinion was more thoroughly abominable than anything history." i speak what cannot be denied when i declare that the opinion of the chief justice in the case of dred scott was more thoroughly abominable than anything of the kind in the history of courts. judicial baseness reached its lowest point on that occasion. you have not forgotten that terrible decision where a most unrighteous judgment was sustained by a falsification of history. -charles sumner, 1865