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John Jay
John Jay was born on December 12, 1745. In 1789, he became New York's first Chief Justice. He served his position for a little over five years. He died of old age on May 17, 1829. John Jay was important because he was a very strong representative and strengthened the national government. -
Creation of Supreme Court
The Supreme Court was made part of our government in the first section of the third Amendment in the Constitution. There were six justices in the Supreme Court at that time. This is important because there were several very important court cases that created new laws. -
John Marshall
John Marshall had a forceful personality. He served as Chief Justice longer than anyone else ever had(1801-1835). Marshall set the standard for whether a situation was constitutional or unconstitutional. His powerful rulings helped shape America's government, for an example; the Supreme Court can now over rule the Congress or the President. -
Marbury vs. Madison
President Adams was sending out commisions, but they were sent out too late, when he was no longer President. Thomas Jefferson claimed they were invalid because Adams had sent them out after his presidency. This was very important because it established judicial review. -
Fletcher vs. Peck
Robert Fletcher bought 15,000 acres of land from Peck for $3,000. Peck had placed a covenant in the deed that said the title to the land had not been constitutionally impaired by any subsequent act of the state of Georgia. This was the first case where Supreme Court invalidated a state law because it was contradicting the Constitution. -
Dartmouth College vs. Woodward
When Dartmouth College was creaeted, King George III granted it a charter. Over time, the New Hampshire legislature tried to altar the grant. Woodward represented the New Hampshire legislature. The College won,, which made this case very important because it strengthened the Contract Clause, and limited the power of the State. -
McCullough vs. Maryland
Maryland put a tax on every bank in Maryland that were not chartered by the state. McCullough was the cashier of the Baltimore branch of the Bank of U.S. Maryland sued McCulloch because he failed to pat his taxes. This case was important because it gave the Federalist more power. -
Gibbons vs. Ogden
Ogden was given permission to sail it the waters between New York and New Jersey. Ogen sued Gibbons for sailing in that area in violation of his exclusive privilege. There are no limitations in regulating commerce. -
Cherokee Nation vs. Georgia
Georgia wanted to remove the Cherokee Indians from their native lands as soon as they could. The Indians were afraid and didn't want to move, so they challenged Georgia. It was ruled in favor of Georgia because the Indians were not a foreign nation and didn't have the right to sue Georgia. -
Worcester vs. Georgia
Georgia passed a law that all whites living in the Cherokee Indian Territory had to get a liscence, but they refused. They were arrested and sentanced to four years of hard labor. The court ruled that the Cherokee Nation was a "distinct community," and that individual states didn't have power over American Indians. Only the U.S. government can have power over American Indians. -
Commonwealth vs. Hunt
In 1839, the Boston Journeymen Bootmakers' Society organized a strike against employers who hired people that weren't part of the union. Mr. Hunt was one of the leaders of the strike. He got arrested and charged for conspiracy, but he argued that the strike was lawful. Lemuel Shaw was the Cheif of Justice at the time, and he ruled that unions are legal organizations and they had the right to go on strike. -
Dred Scott vs. Sanford
The Dred Scott vs. Sanford was a very controversial debate about slavery. It debated whether African Americans would be protected by the Constitution or not. It was ruled that the Constitution would not protect African Americans even if they were free, and they would not be considered American Citizens. -
Maples vs. Thomas
Maples was trying to appeal his death but his attorneys showed up late. He tried explaining that it wasn't his fault. This is another example of how life isn't fair.
