Supreme Court Cases

Marbury v. Madison (1803, Marshall).

Established judicial review, giving the Supreme Court the power to determine the constitutionality of federal laws.

Fletcher v. Peck (1810, Marshall)

Upheld the sanctity of contracts, stemming from the Yazoo land cases in 1803.

McCulloch v. Maryland (1819, Marshall)

Ruled that states cannot tax the federal government, confirming the constitutionality of the Bank of the United States.

Dartmouth College v. Woodward (1819, Marshall)

Protected the charter of Dartmouth College under the contract clause of the U.S. Constitution, emphasizing the sanctity of contracts.

Gibbons v. Ogden (1824, Marshall)

Affirmed Congressional power over interstate commerce and clarified the commerce clause.

Cherokee Nation v. Georgia (1831, Marshall)

Established a "trust relationship" with Native American tribes under federal authority, recognizing them as "domestic dependent nations."

Worcester v. Georgia (1832, Marshall)

Established tribal autonomy within their boundaries, recognizing tribes as distinct political communities.

Scott v. Sanford (1857, Taney)

Ruled that Dred Scott was not a citizen, voiding the Missouri Compromise of 1820 and denying Congress the power to prohibit slavery in a territory.

Munn v. Illinois (1877)

Allowed states to regulate businesses within their borders, including railroads.

Wabash v. Illinois (1886)

Declared state-passed Granger laws regulating interstate commerce unconstitutional.

U. S. v. E. C. Knight Co. (1895)

Undermined federal authority to act against monopolies by narrowly interpreting the Sherman Anti-Trust Act.

Plessy v. Ferguson (1896)

Legalized segregation in publicly owned facilities based on the "separate but equal" doctrine.

“Insular Cases” / Downes v. Bidwell (1901)

Confirmed the federal government's right to place tariffs on goods entering the U.S. from territories.

Northern Securities Co. v. U. S. (1904)

Re-established federal authority to combat monopolies under the Sherman Anti-Trust Act.

Lochner v. New York (1905)

Declared unconstitutional a New York act limiting bakers' working hours, citing a denial of 14th Amendment rights.

Muller v. Oregon (1908)

Recognized a 10-hour workday for women laundry workers based on health and community concerns.

Schenck v. U. S. (1919)

Upheld limitations on free speech under the Espionage Act of 1917 if it presented a "clear and present danger."

Schechter v. U. S. (1936)

Declared the National Industrial Recovery Act unconstitutional for delegating legislative power to the executive.

Korematsu v. U. S. (1941)

Upheld the constitutionality of detention camps for Japanese-Americans during World War 2.

Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka, Kansas (1954, Warren)

Declared segregation in schools unconstitutional, overturning "separate but equal."

Gideon v. Wainwright (1963)

Extended the right to counsel to all defendants in state and federal criminal trials.

Escobedo v. Illinois (1964)

Ruled that defendants must have access to a lawyer before police questioning.

Miranda v. Arizona (1966)

Established the requirement for advising individuals of their rights during in-custody interrogation.

Roe v. Wade (1973)

Legalized abortion by ruling that state laws cannot restrict it during the first three months of pregnancy.

Bakke v. Regents of the University of California (1978)

Dealt with affirmative action programs using race as a basis, with a divided court upholding affirmative action in a weak decision.