Supreme Court Cases to 1900

Commonwealth vs. Hunt

Declared that labor unions were lawful organizations and that the strike was a lawful weapon

Chrisholm vs. Georgia

Citizens from one state could sue another state

Marbury vs. Madison

Established judicial review

McCulloch vs. Maryland

federal law comes first and state law comes second; decided that Bank of the US was undeniably an entity of the fed. gov. b/c it was necessary & proper

Cohens vs. Virginia

case was accepted in order to establish that fed. courts could potentially overturn state supreme court's decisions

Gibbons vs. Ogden

Gave control of interstate commerce to U.S. Congress

Fletcher vs. Peck

Established firmer protection for private property by the sanctity of contracts precedent

Dartmouth vs. Woodward

Legislature can't break a contract, even when the original legislature/partners are dead; safe environment for trade by strengthening the sanctity of contracts

Cherokee Nation vs. Georgia

Determined that Native Americans were a "denominated domestic dependent nation"; strengthens federal over state power and the sanctity of contracts

Worchester vs GA

state laws have no authority over Native American lands or people

Charles R. Bridge vs. Warren Bridge

Legislatures can't grant monopolies, but they are allowed to grow independently; protected equality of economic opportunity

Ableman vs. Booth

upheld both the constitutionality of the Fugitive Slave Act and the supremacy of the federal government over state governments; personal liberty laws (nullification) is unconstitutional

Scott vs. Sanford

Defined slaves as property, which can not sue; any attempt at blocking a citizen with their property is unconstitutional; legalized slavery everywhere by the 5th Amendment

US vs. Amistad

helped the abolitionist movement when returning mutiny slaves destined for Mexico back to Africa b/c of the law from 1808 which made participating in slave trade illegal