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West v. Barnes (1791)
This was the first Supreme Court. This helped set the standard for what a case should be. Barnes stated West owed the estate 13,000. -
Marbury v. Madison (1803)
The central issue was around the delivery of the commissions. James Madison, (Secretary of State under President Thomas Jefferson), refused to deliver Marbury’s commissions. This court case Established judicial review. -
McCulloch v. Maryland (1819)
The issue at hand was whether Congress had the right to establish a bank for the U.S. The Court decided that the Federal Government has the power to establish a Federal bank, as well the states do not have the power to tax the Federal Government. -
Dred Scott v. Sandford (1857)
This Court Case upheld slavery in the United States, stated black people were not citizens, and declared the Missouri Compromise to be unconstitutional. The Court also refused to give Scott constitutional protections. -
Schenck v. United (1919)
During WW1, Socialists Charles Schenck and Elizabeth Baer handed out pamphlets that told people to defy the draft. The Supreme Court ruled that the freedom of speech protection could be restricted if the words spoken represented clear danger. -
Brown v. Board of Education (1954)
The Brown family and twelve other black families filed a class action lawsuit against the Topeka Board of Education because of the race-segregated schools. The court decided that it violated the 14th Amendment. -
Miranda v. Arizona (1966)
On March 13, 1963, Ernesto Miranda was arrested in his home in connection of rape and kidnapping. Miranda wrote a written confession which was brought to court as evidence, however, Miranda was not advised of his rights which was the issue at hand. The court ruled that because Miranda did not specifically ask for counsel, therefore his rights were not violated. -
Roe v. Wade (1973)
Jane Roe (a fictional name to keep their identity hidden) sued Henry Wade on the Texas law that banned abortion. She stated that it violated her first, fourth, fifth, ninth, and fourteenth amendments. -
Bowers v. Hardwick (1986)
Hardwick was a homosexual man who was arrested when police observed him having intercourse with another consenting male in his bedroom. Hardwick sued Georgia's Attorney General, but his case was dismissed based on there not being a stated claim. -
Bush v. Gore (2000)
Following President Bush's election win in 2000, Al Gore agrued that votes in Flordia and espically in specific counties were incorrect. A recount was not given due to the fact a constional way of doing this in a timely manner wasn't possible.