Supreme Court Cases (US History Regents)

Marbury v. Madison

The landmark Supreme Court case of 1803 that established the principle of judicial review, allowing the Court to invalidate laws deemed unconstitutional.

McCulloch v. Maryland

A Supreme Court case from 1819 that confirmed the supremacy of federal law over state law and upheld the constitutionality of the Bank of the United States.

Gibbons v. Ogden

A Supreme Court case decided in 1824 that clarified federal power over interstate commerce and invalidated state-granted monopolies.

Worcester v. Georgia (1832)

A Supreme Court case that determined the state of Georgia could not impose its laws on Native American lands, affirming tribal sovereignty. Andrew Jackson refused to accept the courtsdecision, leading to the Trail of Tears.

Dred Scott v Sanford

A Supreme Court case from 1857 that ruled African Americans could not be American citizens and that Congress had no authority to regulate slavery in the territories.

Plessy v Ferguson

A Supreme Court case from 1896 that upheld racial segregation under the"separate but equal" doctrine, legitimizing state laws that enforced segregation. Would be overturned in 1954

Wabash, St. Louis & Pacific R.R. v Illinois

A Supreme Court case from 1886 that limited the states' power to regulate interstate commerce, affirming that only Congress had the authority to regulate such commerce. A start to the federal gov’t regulating business

Northern Securities Co. v United States

A landmark Supreme Court case from 1904 that dissolved a large railroad monopoly and was significant in the application of the Sherman Antitrust Act, affirming the federal government's ability to regulate monopolistic practices.

Schenck v. United States

A Supreme Court case from 1919 that upheld the conviction of Charles Schenck for distributing leaflets urging resistance to the draft during World War I, establishing the "clear and present danger" test for limitations on free speech. He was found guilty of violating the Espionage Act.

Scopes Trial

A famous legal case in 1925 where a high school teacher, John Scopes, was tried for violating Tennessee's Butler Act by teaching evolution in the classroom. This trial highlighted the conflict between science and religious beliefs in education.

Korematsu v United States

A Supreme Court case from 1944 that upheld the internment of Japanese Americans during World War II as a wartime necessity, citing it was justified under the circumstances of national security, though it has been widely criticized for its implications on civil liberties.

Brown v Board of Ed.

A landmark Supreme Court case decided in 1954 that declared racial segregation in public schools unconstitutional, overturning the "separate but equal" doctrine established by Plessy v. Ferguson. This case was pivotal in advancing the Civil Rights Movement in the United States.

Heart of Atlanta Motel, Inc. v United States

A Supreme Court case from 1964 that upheld the Civil Rights Act of 1964, ruling that the government could prohibit racial discrimination in public accommodations, as it significantly affected interstate commerce.

Loving v Virginia

A landmark Supreme Court case from 1967 that struck down laws banning interracial marriage, declaring such bans unconstitutional and affirming the right to marry regardless of race.

Mapp v Ohio

A significant Supreme Court case decided in 1961 that ruled that evidence obtained through illegal searches and seizures cannot be used in state courts, thereby incorporating the Fourth Amendment's protections against unreasonable searches.

Gideon v Wainwright

A landmark Supreme Court case decided in 1963 that held the right to counsel is fundamental to a fair trial, requiring states to provide attorneys to defendants who cannot afford one in criminal cases. Now part of the Miranda rights.

Miranda v Arizona

A Supreme Court case from 1966 that established the requirement for law enforcement to inform individuals of their rights to silence and legal counsel during custodial interrogations, ensuring protection against self-incrimination.

Engel v Vitale

A landmark Supreme Court case from 1962 that ruled it unconstitutional for state officials to compose an official school prayer and encourage its recitation in public schools, emphasizing the separation of church and state.

Tinker v Des Moines

A landmark Supreme Court case from 1969 that affirmed the right of students to express free speech in public schools, ruling that students do not lose their First Amendment rights at the schoolhouse gate.

New Jersey v TLO

A Supreme Court case from 1985 that addressed the search and seizure rights of students in public schools, ruling that schools can conduct reasonable searches of students' belongings without a warrant.

Bush v Gore

A Supreme Court case from 2000 that effectively resolved the disputed 2000 presidential election by ruling that Florida's recount procedure violated the Equal Protection Clause, leading to George W. Bush's victory.