Supreme Court Cases
Marbury v. Madison (1803): Established the practice of judicial review and that the Supreme Court was the final interpreter of the Constitution, meaning they had the final authority to declare laws unconstitutional
McCulloch v. Maryland (1819): Started over an argument about whether a state had the power to tax a federal bank. Ruled that not only could a state not do this, but also, that Congress had implied powers not explicitly given to it in Article I, Section 8 as part of the “Necessary and Proper Clause”, giving it the power to create a national bank.
Worcester v. Georgia (1832): The Cherokee challenged their removal in the Indian Removal Act of 1830, this ruled that Georgia had no right to interfere with the Cherokee nation
United States v. The Amistad (1841): After the slaves in the Amistad killed the ship’s captain and they were arrested, this court case ruled that they would be set free
Slaughterhouse Cases: Ruled that the 14th Amendment only gave equal rights to federal citizens and not state citizenship
Cruikshank Case: Ruled that the equal rights provided by the 14th Amendment only affected the federal government, not individuals or states
Munn v. Illinois (1876): Ruled that states could regulate commerce within states and could regulate private industries
Plessy v. Ferguson (1896): Weakened the 14th Amendment and ruled that racial segregation was constitutional and allowed as long as the separate facilities were equal, which is where we get the phrase “separate but equal”, overturned in 1954
Santa Clara County v. Southern Pacific Railroad Co. (1886): Ruled that corporations received equal protection from the law, can be treated as persons, and that states couldn’t regulate railroads
Schenck v. United States (1919): Ruled that freedom of speech is not absolute, meaning that the government is allowed to silence speech if it constitutes a “clear and present danger”, such as interfering with the draft or war effort
Korematsu v. The United States (1944): Established that the Japanese Relocation was constitutional because it was a “martial necessity arising from the danger of espionage and sabotage”
Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka (1954): Ruled that racial segregation in public schools is unconstitutional
Mapp v. Ohio (1961): Ruled that illegally-acquired evidence could not be used in court
Gideon v. Wainwright (1963): Ruled that every person would have the right to an attorney regardless of if they could afford one
Miranda v. Arizona (1966): Ruled that everybody arrested needed to be read their rights
Baker v. Carr (1962): Ruled that redistricting of state legislative districts is justiciable and can be judged in federal courts, forced states to redraw their districts to accurately represent populations
Engel v. Vitale (1962): Banned forced school prayer
Griswold v. Connecticut (1965): Ruled that states can’t prohibit the use of contraceptives due to the people’s right to privacy
Meritor Savings Bank v. Vinson (1986): Ruled that sex discrimination and sexual harassment in the workplace is a violation of the Civil Rights Act
Regents of the University of CA v. Bakke (1978): Ruled that affirmative action was constitutional but banned racial quotas
Roe v. Wade (1973): Ruled that prohibiting abortions was unconstitutional and was a violation of the right to privacy, overturned in 2022