Supreme Court Cases and Their Impact

Marshall Court Era

• Characterized by the expansion of federal power and the court's influence.

• Marbury v. Madison (1803)

  • Ruled a section of the Judiciary Act of 1789 unconstitutional.
  • Established the principle of judicial review.

• Fletcher v. Peck (1810)

  • Ruled that the Georgia legislature's repeal of a contract was unconstitutional.
  • Affirmed that the Constitution prohibits states from impairing the obligation of contracts.

• Dartmouth College v. Woodward (1819)

  • Ruled that New Hampshire's amendment of Dartmouth College's charter was unconstitutional.
  • Reinforced that states cannot impair the obligation of contracts.

• McCulloch v. Maryland (1819)

  • Stated that "the power to tax involves the power to destroy."
  • Held that the national bank was immune from state taxation and upheld its constitutionality as "necessary and proper" for executing its constitutional power to coin and regulate money.

• Gibbons v. Ogden (1824)

  • Ruled that New York State's license granting exclusive rights to a ferry operator between New York and New Jersey was unconstitutional.
  • Affirmed that only the federal government has the power to regulate interstate commerce.

Jacksonian Era

• Worcester v. Georgia (1832)

  • Ruled that the state had no power to affect the Cherokees, as federal jurisdiction over them was exclusive.
  • Illustrates tension between judicial decisions and executive enforcement, with Andrew Jackson allegedly defying the Court's decision.

• Charles River Bridge v. Warren Bridge (1837)

  • Ruled that the monopoly granted to the Charles River Bridge Company for collecting tolls was unconstitutional because it conflicted with broader community interests.

• Commonwealth v. Hunt (1842)

  • Massachusetts Supreme Court case that ruled trade unions were not necessarily criminal conspiracies and that strikes could be used to force employers to hire only union members.

African-American Rights (1850s-1970s)

• Dred Scott v. Sandford (1857)

  • Ruled that blacks were not citizens and had no right to sue in federal court and that slavery could not be prohibited in the territories.
  • Stephen Douglas attempted to reconcile popular sovereignty with the Dred Scott decision through his "Freeport Doctrine."

• Civil Rights Cases (1883)

  • Ruled the Civil Rights Act of 1875, which prohibited racial discrimination in public accommodations, unconstitutional.

• Plessy v. Ferguson (1896)

  • Ruled that Louisiana's segregation statute did not violate the 14th Amendment's guarantee of equal protection under the laws.
  • Established the "separate but equal" doctrine.

• Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka (1954)

  • Ruled that segregation in schools is inherently unequal, as it stamps blacks with "a badge of inferiority" that affects self-esteem and opportunities for success.

• Baker v. Carr (1962) & Wesberry v. Sanders (1964)

  • Established the "One man, One vote principle," requiring voting districts to have equal populations.

• Heart of Atlanta Motel v. United States (1964)

  • Upheld the constitutionality of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, based on Congress's power to regulate interstate commerce.

• University of California Regents v. Bakke (1978)

  • Ruled that quota-based affirmative action programs violated the 14th Amendment but allowed race to be considered as one of many factors in university admissions.

Industry and Labor

• Munn v. Illinois (1877)

  • Ruled that state legislatures could regulate rates of railroads and grain elevator companies when it was in the "public interest."

• Wabash, St. Louis & Pacific Railway v. Illinois (1886)

  • Declared unconstitutional a state law prohibiting charging more for a short haul than a long haul, asserting that only Congress could impose such regulations.
  • Led to Congress passing the Interstate Commerce Act in 1887.

• United States v. E.C. Knight Co. (1895)

  • Ruled that the Sherman Anti-Trust Act could not be used against companies involved in manufacturing operations not directly related to interstate commerce.

• In re Debs (1895)

  • Upheld the authority of a federal court to issue an injunction prohibiting Debs from discouraging railroad workers from moving Pullman cars and upheld Debs' contempt of court conviction.

• Northern Securities v. United States (1904)

  • Held that a holding company formed to eliminate competition between two railroads violated the Sherman Anti-Trust Act.

• Lochner v. New York (1905)

  • Ruled that a state law limiting bakery workers' hours was unconstitutional.

• Muller v. Oregon (1908)

  • Upheld an Oregon law that limited women's working hours in certain factory and laundry jobs to no more than 10 hours a day, justifying it based on woman's physical structure and function.

• Schechter v. United States (1935)

  • Ruled the National Industrial Recovery Act (NIRA) unconstitutional because it delegated legislative power (regulating interstate commerce) to the president.

• United States v. Butler (1936)

  • Ruled the Agricultural Adjustment Act (AAA) unconstitutional because it attempted to regulate and control agricultural production, an area reserved to the states.

Wartime Powers

• Ex Parte Merryman (1861)

  • Ruled Lincoln's suspension of the writ of habeas corpus without congressional consent unconstitutional, though Lincoln ignored the Court's decision.

• Ex Parte Milligan (1866)

  • Ruled that President Lincoln acted unconstitutionally when he instituted trial by military commission for civilians in areas where civilian courts were operational.

• Schenck v. United States (1919)

  • Upheld the constitutionality of the Espionage Act, stating that Schenck's speech (distributing pamphlets encouraging people to evade the draft) posed a clear and present danger to national security.

• Korematsu v. United States (1944)

  • Upheld the constitutionality of Roosevelt's executive order requiring the internment of Japanese-Americans living on the West Coast.

First Amendment - Speech, Press, Religion

• Schenck v. United States (1919)

  • (See above under "Wartime")

• Dennis v. United States (1951)

  • Upheld the constitutionality of the Smith Act, noting that Dennis's advocacy of overthrowing the government represented a clear and present danger.

• Yates v. United States (1957)

  • Ruled that membership in the Communist Party was not a violation of the Smith Act, distinguishing between a statement of an idea and advocacy of a specific action.

• Engel v. Vitale (1962)

  • Ruled that the school-led daily recitation of a non-denominational prayer in public schools violated the establishment clause of the First Amendment.

• New York Times v. United States (1971)

  • Ruled that the government could not stop the publication of the "Pentagon Papers" because it would not threaten national security.

Rights of the Accused

• Mapp v. Ohio (1961)

  • Ruled that illegally obtained evidence could not be used in a state criminal trial, establishing the "exclusionary rule."

• Gideon v. Wainwright (1963)

  • Ruled that if a defendant in a state criminal case cannot afford an attorney, the state must provide one.

• Miranda v. Arizona (1966)

  • Ruled that before interrogating suspects, police must inform them of their right to counsel and their right to remain silent (protection from self-incrimination).

Women's Rights

• Roe v. Wade (1973)
  • Ruled that states cannot prohibit a woman from getting an abortion during the first two trimesters of her pregnancy, citing the right to privacy (established in Griswold v. Connecticut, 1965).

The Warren Court (1953-1969)

Characterized by its liberal judicial activism, made the following landmark decisions:

• Brown v. Board of Education (1954)
• Yates v. United States (1957)
• Mapp v. Ohio (1961)
• Engel v. Vitale (1962)
• Baker v. Carr (1962) and Wesberry v. Sanders (1964)
• Gideon v. Wainwright (1963)
• Heart of Atlanta Motel v. United States (1964)
• Griswold v. Connecticut (1965)
• Miranda v. Arizona (1966)
• Tinker v. Des Moines (1969) - students' right to free speech