Term | Definition |
Marbury v Madison | 1803 case. Judicial Review, Supreme Court can decide if a law violates the Constitution |
McCulloch v Maryland | 1819 case. Federal government has supremacy over state governments, National Bank is constitutional |
Gibbons v Ogden | 1824 case. Only federal government can regulate interstate trade |
Dred Scott v Sandford | 1857 case. Slaves deemed property, not citizens. Missouri Compromise unconstitutional for denying citizens their property |
Cherokee Nation v Georgia | 1831 case. Supreme Court doesn't have jurisdiction to hear cases from Indian nations because they are not US citizens |
Worcester v Georgia | 1832 case. Requiring a license for a Native American to live on a reservation is unconstitutional |
Plessy v Ferguson | 1896 case. Legalized segregation, under 14th amendment public facilities may be separate but equal |
Schenck v US | 1919 case. Free speech can be limited during wartime if it causes clear and present danger |
Korematsu v US | 1944 case. Relocation of Japanese-Americans to internment camps is legal to protect US from potential threat |
Brown v Board of Education | 1954 case. Segregation in public high schools is illegal, separate is not equal |
Mapp v Ohio | 1961 case. Due process, illegally obtained evidence can't be used in trial |
Gideon v Wainright | 1961 case. Due process, right to a lawyer, provided for free if needed |
Escobedo v Illinois | 1964 case. Due process, suspects have right to an attorney during questioning |
Miranda v Arizona | 1966 case. Due process, suspects must be informed of Constitutional rights before being questioned |
Roe v Wade | 1973 case. Abortion legal due to Constitutional right to privacy |
US v Nixon | 1974 case. Executive privilege can't be used unless it involves national security |
Gregg v Georgia - Death Penalty | 1976 case. Death penalty does NOT violate 8th amendment, is NOT cruel and unusual punishment |
Furman v Georgia - Death Penalty | 1972 case. Death penalty does violate 8th amendment, IS cruel and unusual punishment |
Engel v Vitale | 1962 case. Prayer in public school banned, violated separation of church and state and freedom of religion |
NY Times v US | 1971 case. New York Times can publish Pentagon Papers about US role in Vietnam because of freedom of speech |
Heart of Atlanta Motel v US | 1964 case. Government CAN regulate private business if their services affect interstate commerce, no discrimination allowed |
Chief Justice John Marshall | Supreme Court Chief Justice. Court established Judicial Review, rulings strengthened the power of Federal government |
Homer Plessy | He was arrested for refusing to obey segregation rules on train. Supreme Court allowed "separate but equal" segregation |
Dred Scott | He wad a slave who argued for freedom when owners moved to free state. Court declared slaves were property, not citizens |
Charles Schenck | He opposed draft in WWI, arrested under Espionage Act. Supreme Court ruled free speech can be restricted during war |
Chief Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes | He ruled that free speech can be limited if it presents a "clear and present danger" |
Chief Justice Earl Warren | His Court decisions supported the right of accused persons |
Tennessee v John Scopes | 1925 case. Also known as the "Monkey Trial", science teacher charged with violating law against teaching evolution. |