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Supreme Court Milestones
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Founding of the Supreme Court
In Article three of the United States Constitution it says that we need a judicial branch of government to interpret the laws and see if they are Constitutional -
John Jay
The First Chief Justice of the Supreme Court. Governor of New York, Minister to many European empires, and one of the writers writing under the pseudonym PUBLIUS in the Federalist Papers (see picture) -
John Marshall
Chief Justice from 1801-1835. Longest serving Justice of the Supreme Court in the history of the Supreme Court. Worked on the Fletcher v. Peck trial, the Aaron Burr conspiracy trial, the Dartmouth College v. Woodward trial, McCollough v. Maryland trial, and the Gibbons v. Ogden trials all of these trials are big and controversial trials that the Supreme Court. has heard in the beginning of its' existence. -
Marbury v. Madison
The first big controversial trial of the Supreme Court. This was between a officer of peace appointed by President John Adams durin his "Midnight Judges" business who didn't get his appointment signed by James Madison. This officer of the peace was named Marbury. -
Fletcher v. Peck
This case was te first case in which a Supreme Court ruling said that a state law was unconstitutional. This case was about Georgia taking the "Yazoo Lands" which was the region of Indian Lands just west of the Territory of Georgia in the nowaday states of Mississippi and Alabama. The "Yazoo Lands" were than bought by Mr.John Peckand later sold to Mr. Robert Fletcher. Mr. Fletcher than bought the land off of Mr. Peck. Mr. Fletcher than bought a lawsuit against Peck. P sold F land/no title. -
Dartmouth College v. Woodward
This case dealed with the contract clause for small corporations whom the state wanted to take the charter sanctified by the King of England before the American Revolution. This case said that the state of New Hampshire could not make an exclusive contract with Dartmouth by simply absolving the charter set down on the College by King George III. -
McColloch v. Maryland
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Cherokee Nation v. Georgia
This case was brought to the courts attention by the whole of the Cherokee Nation against the State of Georgia because the Stste was trying to pass legislation that ould have allowed them to take away the lands hat had been promised to them in North Georgia. -
Worcester v. Georgia
As a result of a previous case against Mr. Worcester he was convicted unjustly by the Georgian government. During this case Mr. Worcestor appealed the government to get his record expunged and have the conviction taken off his record. He was prosecuted and found guilty of one charge of being a non-Indian on Indian lands. The central Government of the United States found that that Georgian law was uncontitutional and got his record expunged and the law abolished. -
Commonwealth v. Hunt
During this case the Massachusetts Supreme Court ruled that the Criminal Conspiracy Act did not apply to Labor Unions. Up until then the opening of a closed shop by a member of the labor unions of Massachusetts was subject to Prosecution. Chief Justice Lemuel Shaw then ruled in favor of the labor union saying that the establishment of trade unions was legal. -
Dred Scott v. Sanford (The Dred Scott Decision)
This case dealt with the slavery debate with a slave who moved with his owner from Missouri a highly pro-slave state into Illinois then Wisconsin both being highly pro-free mentalitied states. The had to decide with either free or slave. They had to either demand the owner Sanford free Scott or allow Sanford not free Scott. The courts sided with Sanford because Chief Justice Taney was highly pro-southern and believed he had to protect the Southern ideals against Northern agression.
