APUSH Court Cases

Important Court Cases for Summer Work Test

Marbury v. Madison (1803)

Reason: Adams' "midnight judges" appointments weren't delivered; Marbury wanted his commission. Decision: Established judicial review — Court can strike down unconstitutional laws. Setback: Marbury never got his job; Court limited itself to gain long-term power.

McCulloch v. Maryland (1819)

Reason: Maryland tried taxing the Bank of the U.S. to weaken it. Decision: Congress has implied powers; states cannot tax federal institutions. Setback: Expanded federal power at expense of states.

Gibbons v. Ogden (1824)

Reason: NY gave a steamboat monopoly, conflicting with a federal license. Decision: Congress regulates interstate commerce, not states. Setback: Reduced states' regulatory power.

Cherokee Nation v. Georgia (1831)

Reason: Cherokee sought to block Georgia from seizing tribal land. Decision: Tribes are "domestic dependent nations," not foreign. Setback: Couldn't sue as a nation → Cherokee lost protection.

Worcester v. Georgia (1832)

Reason: Missionary Worcester arrested under Georgia law applied to Cherokee territory. Decision: States can't impose laws on Native lands. Setback: Jackson ignored ruling → Trail of Tears followed.

Dred Scott v. Sandford (1857)

Reason: Enslaved man sued for freedom after living in free states. Decision: African Americans not citizens; Missouri Compromise void. Setback: Expanded slavery, inflamed sectional tensions.

Munn v. Illinois (1877)

Reason: Farmers challenged high grain storage rates. Decision: States can regulate businesses serving public interest. Setback: Overturned later in Wabash case.

Wabash v. Illinois (1886)

Reason: States tried to regulate railroad freight rates crossing borders. Decision: Only Congress regulates interstate commerce. Setback: Weakened state regulation → led to ICC creation.

Plessy v. Ferguson (1896)

Reason: Homer Plessy (7/8 white) arrested for sitting in "white" train car. Decision: "Separate but equal" segregation allowed. Setback: Legalized segregation for 60+ years.

Lochner v. New York (1905)

Reason: NY limited bakers' hours; Lochner fined for violating law. Decision: Law struck down — freedom of contract protected. Setback: Weakened labor protections.

Muller v. Oregon (1908)

Reason: Oregon law limited women's work hours in factories. Decision: Upheld law, citing women's health/maternal role. Setback: Reinforced gender stereotypes.

Schenck v. United States (1919)

Reason: Socialist Charles Schenck distributed anti-draft leaflets in WWI.

Adkins v. Children's Hospital (1923)

Congress set minimum wage for women workers in DC; struck down minimum wage → freedom of contract.

Korematsu v. United States (1944)

Japanese Americans interned during WWII; upheld internment as military necessity.

Brown v. Board of Education (1954)

Black children denied entry to white schools; segregation in schools unconstitutional.

Engel v. Vitale (1962)

NY schools required daily state-written prayer; school-sponsored prayer unconstitutional.

Gideon v. Wainwright (1963)

Clarence Gideon denied lawyer in Florida felony trial; poor defendants must be given attorneys.

Escobedo v. Illinois (1964)

Police denied Danny Escobedo a lawyer during questioning; suspects have right to lawyer during interrogation.

New York Times v. Sullivan (1964)

Alabama official sued over newspaper ad criticizing police; libel requires 'actual malice' proof against public officials.

Miranda v. Arizona (1966)

Ernesto Miranda confessed without being told rights; suspects must be read Miranda rights.

Roe v. Wade (1973)

Texas woman (Jane Roe) challenged abortion ban; abortion legal under right to privacy (14th Amendment).

Regents of UC v. Bakke (1978)

White applicant rejected due to racial quota at UC Davis Med School; quotas illegal, but race can be admissions factor.

Bush v. Gore (2000)

Disputed Florida recount in 2000 presidential election; stopped recount → Bush became president.

Citizens United v. FEC (2010)

Law limited corporate/union political spending; unlimited spending by corporations/unions = free speech.

Obergefell v. Hodges (2015)

Same-sex couples denied marriage licenses in several states; legalized same-sex marriage nationwide.