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Creation of the Supreme Court
The Supreme Court as well as lower federal courts were created in the jJudiciary Act of 1789. The Supreme Court would be the only court of appeals for cases in the lower courts. -
John Jay
John Jay was the first Chief Justice of the Supreme Court from 1789-1795. He was appointed by George Washington, and John Adams offered him a second term. Jay declined, and instead became the governor of New York. -
John Marshall
John Marshall was the fourth Chief Justice of the Supreme Court and served as Chief Justice from 1801-1835. He helped the judicial branch of the US government to an equal level with the other branches, and established the exercisement of judicial review. -
Marbury vs. Madison
This case established the process of judicial review for John Marshall. John Adams had appointed William Marbury as Justice of the Peace in the District of Columbia, but his commission wasn't delivered until Thomas Jefferson was president. John Marshall ultimately decided that Marbury did have the right to commission and that the law grants him a remedy. However, he also decided the Supreme Court couldn't give Marbury a writ of mandamus, which would have given him his commission. -
Fletcher vs Peck
Peck bought land under the land act of 1795. Then sold the land to Fletcher who brought the charge up saying peck didn't truly own it when he sold the land to him. The result was the contract was voided because the law was unconstitutional. (this was the first state law to be ruled unconstitutional) -
Dartmouth College vs Woodward
Dartmouth college wanted to stay a private school. The ruling on the case is that the law was unconstitutional to change the college to a public school. -
McCollough v. Maryland
The second bank of America and the tax on it by Maryland were the questions in the case. The ruling was that the second bank of America was allowed to be made, but the state of maryland couldn't tax it because the bank was a federal institute and a state couldn't tax it. -
Gibbons v. Ogden
The state of new york was going to grant a monopoly to a steamboat company. Even though it conflicted with a charter given by congress. In the end the law was ruled unconstitutional and established the governments control over interstate commerce. -
Cherokee Nation v. Georgia
It was a U.S. Supreme Court case where the Cherokee Nation was against laws being passed by the state of Georgia depriving them of certain rights within their boundaries. The Supreme Court wouldn't listen to them. The significance was they saw the Cherokee Nation as a foreign nation and they decided that they didn't have to rule on their case. -
Worcester v. Georgia
It was a case in which the U.S. Supreme Court took away the conviction of Samuel Worcester and that people who were non-indian couldn't be on indian lands without a license was unconstitutional. The significance was that it was taking the indians land away that they had set aside for them. -
Commonweath v. Hunt
It was a legal decision issued by the Massachusettes Supreme Judicial Court on Labor Unions. The Chief Justice ruled that unions were legal organizations and had rights. The significance was that it legalized the existence of trade organizations. -
Dred Scott v. Sanford
It was a ruling by the U.S. Supreme Court that people of African descent brought into the United States and held as slaves were not protected by the Constitution and could never be considered U.S. citizens. It was also known as the Dred Scott Decision. The significance of it was that the Supreme Court was racist in their decision making about African Americans.
