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MARBURY V. MADISON (1803)

Established the principle of judicial review, empowering the Supreme Court to nullify an act of the legislative or executive branch that violates the Constitution.

MCCULLOCH V. MARYLAND (1819)

Established supremacy of the U.S. Constitution and federal laws over state laws.

SCHENCK V. UNITED STATES (1919)

Speech creating a "clear and present danger" is not protected by the First Amendment.

BROWN V. BOARD OF EDUCATION (1954)

Race-based school segregation violates the Equal Protection Clause.

BAKER V. CARR (1962)

Opened the door to equal protection challenges to redistricting and the development of the "one person, one vote" doctrine by ruling that challenges to redistricting did not raise "political questions" that would keep federal courts from reviewing such challenges.

ENGEL V. VITALE (1962)

School sponsorship of religious activities violates the establishment clause.

GIDEON V. WAINWRIGHT (1963)

Guaranteed the right to an attorney for the poor or indigent in a state felony case.

TINKER V. DES MOINES INDEPENDENT COMMUNITY SCHOOL DISTRICT (1969)

Public school students have the right to wear black armbands in school to protest the Vietnam War.

NEW YORK TIMES CO. V. UNITED STATES (1971)

Bolstered the freedom of the press, establishing a "heavy presumption against prior restraint" even in cases involving national security.

WISCONSIN V. YODER (1972)

Compelling Amish students to attend school past the eighth grade violates the free exercise clause.

SHAW V. RENO (1993)

Majority-minority districts, created under the Voting Rights Act of 1965, may be constitutionally challenged by voters if race is the only factor used in creating the district.

UNITED STATES V. LOPEZ (1995)

Congress may not use the commerce clause to make possession of a gun in a school zone a federal crime.

MCDONALD V. CHICAGO (2010)

The Second Amendment right to keep and bear arms for self-defense is applicable to the states.

CITIZENS UNITED V. FEDERAL ELECTION COMMISSION (2010)

Political spending by corporations, associations, and labor unions is a form of protected speech under the First Amendment.

Articles of Confederation

New social contract between the national government and the thirteen states. Weak national power leads to the need to revise and discard the Articles.

Brutus No.1

Argument that the newly proposed constitution has a national government with far-reaching, broad, and inevitably tyrannical powers.

Constitution

Ratified unanimously by the thirteen states, partly as a response to Shays's Rebellion, it vests significant power in the federal government.

Bill of Rights

The first ten Amendments to the Constitution, ratified as a compromise with the Anti-Federalists to assure them that civil liberties would not be infringed by the new, more powerful, national government.

Amendments 11-27

Covering a broad range of topics, with expansion of suffrage being the most common. The 14th Amendment has the broadest impact, often referred to as the "Second Framing" of the Constitution due to its implications on federalism.

Declaration of Independence

Jefferson's explanation of why the American colonies dissolve the social contract with England.

Federalist No.10

Argument that ratifying the Constitution will create a strong national government capable of controlling the inevitable rise of factions.

Federalist No.51

Argument that separation of powers and checks and balances will keep a newly formed national government from becoming tyrannical.

Federalist No.70

Argument that a strong executive branch is essential for the good of the country, as is an independent judiciary.

Federalist No.78

Argument that an independent federal judiciary is needed to review the constitutionality of acts of the legislative branch.

Letter from a Birmingham Jail

King's explanation to religious leaders, and the world, of why he is faithful to the duty of civil disobedience in the face of unjust laws.