Crash Course Key Supreme Court Cases and Famous Trials

Flashcards of famous court cases and trials

Marbury v. Madison

1803 case establishing judicial review, allowing the Supreme Court to declare laws unconstitutional.

Dartmouth College v. Woodward

1819 case protecting contracts against state interference, limiting state power over private entities like Dartmouth College.

Worcester v. Georgia

1832 case affirming federal authority over Native American affairs; Georgia's laws had no force in Cherokee territory.

Dred Scott v. Sanford

1857 case ruling enslaved people weren't citizens and Congress couldn't prohibit slavery in territories, intensifying the slavery debate.

Slaughterhouse Cases

1873 cases narrowly interpreting the 14th Amendment, limiting its protection of state citizenship rights.

Civil Rights Cases

1883 cases weakening federal power to combat private discrimination, holding the 14th Amendment only prohibited state discrimination.

Plessy v. Ferguson

1896 case upholding racial segregation under 'separate but equal,' entrenching segregation in the U.S.

Sacco and Vanzetti Trial

1920s trial (not a Supreme Court case) of Italian immigrants accused of robbery and murder, marked by prejudice and concerns about nativism.

John T. Scopes Trial

1925 trial (not a Supreme Court case) on teaching evolution, symbolizing the clash between religious fundamentalism and modern science.

Korematsu v. United States

1944 case upholding internment of Japanese Americans during WWII, based on military necessity; remains controversial.

Brown v. Board of Education

1954 case overturning 'separate but equal,' declaring state-sponsored segregation in public schools unconstitutional.

Baker v. Carr

1962 case allowing federal courts to hear redistricting cases, establishing 'one person, one vote' for legislative elections.

Griswold v. Connecticut

1965 case recognizing a constitutional right to privacy, striking down a ban on contraceptives.

Miranda v. Arizona

1966 case requiring suspects be informed of their rights (Miranda rights) before interrogation.

Roe v. Wade

1973 case affirming a woman's right to abortion, based on the right to privacy.