Supreme Court Milestones

  • Cheif Justice John Jay

    John Jay from New York was the first Cheif Justice. He used to be the president of the Continental Congress. John Jay was appointed Cheif Justice by George Washington. He was nominated for a second term as Cheif Justice but declined.
  • Supreme Court Formation

    The Judiciary Act of 1789 made the rules for the Supreme Court and the Federal Judiciary. Each colony would have it's own Court with it's own Judge.
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    Supreme Court

  • First Session in Supreme Court

    The Supreme Court did not have any trials in it's first session but only handled administrative matters.
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    Supreme Court moves with the Government

    Supreme Court moves with the other two branches of government from New York to Pensylvania. After this, Supreme Court starts taking real trials.
  • Cheif Justice John Rutledge

    John Rutledge, born in Charleston, North Carolina, becomes the new Cheif Justice of the Supreme Court.
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    Chief Justice Oliver Ellsworth

    Oliver Ellsworth, born in Windsor, Connecticut, becomes Cheif Justice of the Supreme Court.
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    Supreme Court moves to DC

    Supreme Court moves from Pensylvania to Washington DC
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    Cheif Justice John Marshall

    John Marshall, being a Revolutionary War veteran, was appointed Cheif Justice by John Adams. He helped establish the Supreme Court as the final authority on the meaning of the Constitution.
  • Marbury vs Madison

    Marbury vs Madison Case was the first case that was first denied due to charges being "unconstitutional."
  • Fletcher vs Peck

    After a development company in Georgia was caught accepting bribes, transactions were voided. John Peck had bought this land before the voiding, so he sold it to Robert Fletcher, who sued Peck. He ended up not having his land taken away by the Supreme Court.
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    Supreme Court Chamber in Capitol Opens

    Located in the basement of the Capitol Building, the Supreme Court moves into this once used room.
  • McCulloch vs Maryland

    Congress passed an act establishing the Second Bank of the US and Maryland passed a law to tax banks not chartered by their legislature. James McCulloch, head of the bank in Maryland, refused to make payments. Supreme court saw that Congress made the bank, so Maryland's laws intrerfered with Congress' powers.
  • Gibbons vs Ogden

    This case established power to regulate intestate commerce. Aaron Ogden purchased rights to use steamboats in waters between New York and New Jersey. Ogden sued Thomas Gibbons for operating steamboats in the same river. Supreme Court saw it was New York's actions of not regulating costal trade was the problem.
  • Dred Scott vs Sandford

    Dred Scott was a slave in a free state who tried to sue for his freedom, but was rejected due to being a slave and not a US citizen.
  • Reynolds vs US

    When Abraham Lincolin banned having two wives in the United States, Reynolds took his case to supreme court saying that this law conflicts with the first amendment of freedom of religion. He lost his case because the supreme court said that religion is not nessesarily multiple wives.
  • Plessy vs Ferguson

    When Adolph Plessy attempted to ride in a "whites only" train car, he was arrested because he was only 7/8 caucasian. The Supreme Court decided that within the 14th amendment that he was not guilty.
  • Schenck vs US

    Schenck was against the US entering WWI and as a general society of the Socialist Party, he was charged with conspiracy to violate the Espionage Act of 1917 to mess up recruitment. His free speech right were not protected and he was found guilty.
  • Korematsu vs US

    When the Japanese attacked, all citizens of Japanese Ancestry were removed from the west coast. For saftey matters, Supreme Court sided with the US.
  • Brown vs Board of Education

    This case settled that whites and blacks must be treated equal and be able to attend the same school.
  • Gideon vs Wainwright

    This csse allowed Gideon an attorney due to not having the money to afford one. This also began the right to attorney.
  • Tinker vs Des Moines

    The Tinker family apposed the Vietnam war by wearing black armbands, making the schools go into fear of protest and suspended the Tinkers when they refused to remove their band. Supreme Court decided that this was protected by freedom of speech and the Tinkers returned to school with their bands.
  • NY Times vs US

    When Nixon tried to rid the NY Times of publishing stories about the US during the Vietnam War, Supreme Court voted against the NY Times due to prior restraint of the press.
  • Atkins vs Virginia

    When Atkins commited multiple felonies, Supreme Sentenced him to death, but when a Psycologist stated that he was actually mentally retarded, they sent him to an asylum instead.