Important Court Cases in American History
The
year
The ruling
1803
The case/important background
info
John Marshall/believed in strong
National government
 Virginian
 Tended to promote
business
 Supremacy of Fed over
State
Marbury v. Madison
1819
Darmouth college v. Woodward


1819
McCulloch v. Maryland






1831
Worcester v. Georgia


1857
Dred Scott v. Sanford





1873
1883
Slaughterhouse Cases
Civil Rights Cases

1896
Plessy v. Ferguson


Midnight appointments
Declared an act of Congress “unconstitutional”
Established the principle of “judicial review” over laws
passed by the Federal Government
NH tried to take over a private college
Court ruled in favor of the Private college, protecting
private enterprise from state takeovers
To issues here. 1. Is the National Bank constitutional?
2. If it is, can a state tax a federal institution
The Court ruled that congress had the power to establish
the bank (favors implied powers and loose
constructionism)
The Court ruled that a state may not interfere (tax) a
Federal institution.
Congress had passed the Indian Removal act, calling for the
forcible relocation of the 5 Civilized tribes (Cherokees) to a
newly created Indian territory west of the Mississippi
The court ruled in favor of the Cherokees….they were a
“protected and dependent” nation
John Marshall has made his ecision: now let him enforce it!
Dred Scott, a slave who had lived in a free state for 20
years, asked to be set free after his master died
Roger Taney’s ruling stated that slaves, as property, were
not citizens, therefore not protected by the Constitution
Since they were property, any law the interfered with
owners rights to move their property were unconstitutional
Invalidated (unconstitutional) the Compromise of 1820
(Missouri Compromise line)
Both cases represented the Federal government backing
away from enforcing civil rights under the 14th Amendment
after the Republican party abandoned freedmen at the end
of reconstruction
Concerned allow black and whites to share sleeping cars on
long train trips
Said segregation was legal as long as it met the separate
but equal test

1927
Sacco and Vanzetti Trial



1925
Scopes (Monkey)Trial


1944
Korematsu v. United States


19531969
Earl Warren “the biggest damn
fool mistake I ever made”

1954
Brown v. Board of Education of
Topkea



1962
Baker v. Carr


1965
Griswold v. Connecticut

1966
Miranda v. Arizona


1973
Roe v. Wade

Opened the door for Jim Crow laws, that legally segregated
all public facilities in the south
Two Italian immigrants were accused of murder. Both of
these men were also self-identified “anarchists”
They were probably innocent
Were executed after being found guilty. Because they
were anarchist first, immigrants second
A case in Tennessee orchestrated by the ACLU, who
encouraged John Scopes, a biology teacher, to challenge
Tennessee law that criminalized teaching evolution in
school
Clarence Darrow, a popular labor lawyer defended and
William Jennings Bryan, political candidate and lawyer, to
prosecute
A case the challenged the legally of the Japanese-American
internment camps during WWII
The court upheld the right of the government to take
extreme action during war
The beginning of judicial activism, where the court
reinterprets the law and constitution to bring about what id
conceived as necessary social change and programs
Brought by African American students whose school were
inferior, if not dangerous to attend
Supreme Court, while not denying Plessy v. Ferguson,
concluded that separate could never by equal
Banned segregation in public schools, opening the door to
banning all legalized segregation.
One man one vote
Lead to counties and states have to reapportion districts to
more fairly represent each person
Struck down state bans on the sale and use of
contraceptives
Warren court decision that is still controversial
No confession is legal unless the person arrested was told
about their civil rights and the suspect understands and
agrees to waive those rights
Court upheld abortion as a civil right for women