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Marbury v. Madison
After Madison's refusal of Marbury's appointment, courts decided that his refusal, as well as the law Marbury sued under, was unconstitutional. This ruling allowed the Supreme Court the power of judicial review, giving the higher court legal authority for decisions it would make in the future. -
Gibbons v. Ogden
The Supreme Court unanimously decided that states cannot interfere with Congress's ability to regulate commerce. State laws had to yield to constitutional acts by Congress. It illustrated the federal government's ability to determine interstate commerce. -
Worcester v. Georgia
The Supreme Court decided that the Cherokee Nation was a sovereign, distinct community. It declined Georgian law to prohibit white people from living on Native American land. It demonstrated that interaction with Native American states would become a federal process, and would provide some sovereignty when interacting with the United States. -
Dred Scott v. Sandford
The Supreme Court decided that due to Scott's ancestry of imported slaves he could not be identified as an American citizen. Because he was not a citizen, he had no ability to sue. This meant black individuals living free in the north were barred from federal courts. The Court held that slaves were property, under the Fifth Amendment, and that it was unconstitutional to deprive a slave-owner of his property. This is believed to have been a factor in beginning the Civil War. -
Munn v. Illinois
The Supreme Court decided that the government can regulate private industries when it affects the public. Since storage facilities were devoted to the public, they were able to be regulated. This allowed states to regulate businesses within their borders. It illustrates how private enterprises can be publicly regulated. -
Abrams v. United States
The Supreme Court decided that the Espionage Act was valid and it was a crime to willfully publish "disloyal" language about the United States, deciding that this speech was not protected in the First Amendment. The most important event in the case derives from a dissenting opinion: the government should only regulate people's expression when it is required to save the country. -
Wickard v. Filburn
The Supreme Court decided that Congress had the power to regulate activities in industry, and within states, when activities had substantial effects on interstate commerce. This case led to the federal government has more power to regulate the economy, and allowed regulation of workplace safety and civil rights. -
Brown v. Board of Education
The Supreme Court decided that separate educational facilities were inherently unequal. The Court called for lower courts and school boards to proceed with desegregation. This decision exposed the "separate but equal" doctrine and allowed mixed-race schools, transportation, and facilities to exist as long as they were "equal." -
Engel v. Vitale
The Supreme Court decided that reading an official prayer at school violated the Constitution because it is an "establishment of religion." This case meant that any state-enforced prayer or reading of the bible in public schools would be suspected. It is also key in the enforcement of separation between church and state. -
Miranda v. Arizona
The Supreme Court decided that law enforcement must advise suspects of their right to remain silent, their right to an attorney and that anything they say can and will be used against them in a court of law. Evidence could not be used in a trial unless the warnings had been given and knowingly waived.
