Worcester v. Georgia
E38721
Worcester v. Georgia was an 1832 U.S. Supreme Court case in which the Court held that states had no authority to impose laws on Native American tribal lands, affirming tribal sovereignty in the face of federal Indian Removal policies.
Aliases (3)
Statements (48)
| Predicate | Object |
|---|---|
| instanceOf |
United States Supreme Court case
→
federal Indian law case → landmark case → |
| areaOfLaw |
constitutional law
→
federal Indian law → federalism → |
| backgroundLaw |
Indian Trade and Intercourse Acts
→
U.S. Constitution Commerce Clause → U.S. treaties with the Cherokee Nation → |
| chiefJustice |
John Marshall
→
|
| citation |
31 U.S. (6 Pet.) 515
→
|
| country |
United States
→
|
| court |
Supreme Court of the United States
→
|
| dateDecided |
1832-03-03
→
|
| decade |
1830s
→
|
| decisionEffect |
affirmed that Native American nations are distinct political communities
→
invalidated Georgia laws regulating residence of non-Native Americans on Cherokee lands → |
| dissentingOpinionBy |
Henry Baldwin
→
William Johnson → |
| fullCaseName |
Samuel A. Worcester v. The State of Georgia
→
|
| historicalSignificance |
considered a foundational case for tribal sovereignty in the United States
→
limited the ability of U.S. states to interfere with Native American self-government → |
| holding |
Regulation of intercourse with Native American tribes is vested exclusively in the federal government
→
States have no authority to impose their laws within the territorial boundaries of Native American nations → The Cherokee Nation is a distinct community with self-government in which the laws of Georgia can have no force → |
| involvedTribe |
Cherokee Nation
→
|
| joinedByInMajority |
Gabriel Duvall
→
John McLean → Joseph Story → Smith Thompson → |
| jurisdiction |
United States federal jurisdiction
→
|
| languageOfOpinion |
English
→
|
| legalIssue |
scope of federal authority in Indian affairs
→
state jurisdiction over Native American tribal lands → |
| locationOfEvents |
State of Georgia
→
|
| majorityOpinionBy |
John Marshall
→
|
| petitioner |
Samuel A. Worcester
→
|
| precededBy |
Cherokee Nation v. Georgia
→
|
| presidentAtTime |
Andrew Jackson
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|
| relatedDoctrine |
exclusive federal power over Indian affairs
→
supremacy of federal treaties over state law → tribal sovereignty → |
| relatedTo |
Indian Removal policy
→
Trail of Tears → |
| respondent |
State of Georgia
→
|
| subsequentControversy |
Georgia initially refused to comply with the Supreme Court’s decision
→
|
| subsequentImpact |
frequently cited in later federal Indian law jurisprudence
→
|
| yearDecided |
1832
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|
Referenced by (7)
| Subject (surface form when different) | Predicate |
|---|---|
|
Trail of Tears
("Worcester v. Georgia decision")
→
|
follows |
|
Worcester v. Georgia
("Samuel A. Worcester v. The State of Georgia")
→
|
fullCaseName |
|
Marshall Court era
→
|
hasKeyDecision |
|
John Marshall Court
→
|
landmarkCase |
|
Cherokee Nation (historical)
("Worcester v. Georgia (1832)")
→
|
legalCase |
|
Indian Removal policy of the United States
→
|
relatedCourtCase |
|
Cherokee Nation v. Georgia
→
|
relatedTo |