24 Supreme Court Cases

Remember the Supreme Court Interprets and Reviews the Law

Marbury v. Madison 1803

This case established the principle of Judicial Review. Judicial Review is the authority for the Supreme Court to declare a law unconstitutional. Up until 1803, the Supreme Court had relatively little power. After this case, the Supreme Court has a lot of power.

John Marshall

This case dealt with the Supremacy of federal law. If state and federal law conflict, the national government always wins. This is stated clearly in Article VI of the U.S. Constitution. This case discussed whether the state of Maryland had the right to tax a federal bank set up by the US Congress (Necessary and Proper Clause). They didnt. Federal law is always Supreme!

McCulloch v. Maryland 1819

Establishing National Supremacy

Gibbons v. Ogden, 1824

This was a case in which the Supreme Court had the power to regulate trade among the states. New York tried to establish a monopoly of the steamboat industry. The decision said that the federal government has the power to regulate trade between states.

Plessy v. Ferguson 1896

This case dealt with segregation and equality under the law. The Supreme Court claimed that racial segregation was constitutionally protected as long as there were equal facilities for all races (Separate, but Equal!). This case will later be overturned.

Homer Plessy is 7/8 White.

All facilities were separated, but they were not all EQUAL!

Brown v. Board of Education 1954

This case overturned Plessy v. Ferguson in 1896. It said racial segregation was not protected by the Constitution. Separate, but equal was unconstitutional. Schools were desegregated because of the 14th Amendment, even though it did not go into effect until nearly a decade later.

George E.C. Hayes, Thurgood Marshall, and James Nabrit, congratulating each other, following Supreme Court decision declaring segregation unconstitutional

Swann v. CharlotteMecklenburg Board of Education 1969

This case also dealt with Segregation! The Supreme Court ruled that the school district can redraw Bus districts to promote racial integration. It should be banned only when the newly drawn districts significantly hurt a childs health or education.

Korematsu vs. US 1944

Japanese American Internment was the forced removal and internment of approximately 120,000 Japanese and Japanese Americans (62 percent of whom were United States citizens) from the West Coast of the United States during World War II. FDRs executive order was found by the Supreme Court to be Constitutional because it was necessary to national security. This case is later overturned and the people put in these interment camps were compensated.

Where were these Internment Camps?

Jerome War Relocation Center in Jerome, Arkansas

Japanese people heading off to an internment camp.

Heart of Atlanta Motel, Inc. v. United States 1964

The Civil Rights Act of 1964 tried to promote equality with the races. Segregation was not completely eliminated in the South. It remained until the late 1960s. The Heart of Atlanta Hotel was a large hotel that refused a room to some Black men. The Supreme Court claimed businesses cannot refuse customers based on their race.

Heart of Atlanta Motel in 1964

Civil Rights Cases Timeline

Plessey v. Fergusson Charlotte v. Swann-Meckleburg Brown v. Board of Education Heart of Atlanta Motel v. U.S.