United States Supreme Court

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Organization Timeline

Worcester ruling recognizes limits on Georgia’s power

📅 3 March 1832

The Supreme Court held that Georgia’s laws had no force within Cherokee territory. The case supported Cherokee arguments against state intrusion. Judicial recognition did not prevent forced removal,...

The Supreme Court rejects Dred Scott’s citizenship claim

📅 6 March 1857

The Supreme Court rejected Dred Scott’s freedom claim and declared that people of African descent could not be US citizens under its interpretation of the Constitution. His struggle exposed racism...

The Supreme Court upholds segregation in Plessy’s case

📅 18 May 1896

The Supreme Court upheld Louisiana’s railway segregation law under the “separate but equal” doctrine. The decision defeated the immediate legal challenge and gave constitutional support to...

Families and lawyers win Brown v. Board of Education

📅 17 May 1954

The Supreme Court ruled that racial segregation in public schools was unconstitutional. The decision grew from the actions of families, students and lawyers in several communities. It challenged the...

Cooper v. Aaron rejects state obstruction of school desegregation

📅 12 September 1958

The Supreme Court affirmed that Arkansas officials were bound by constitutional requirements and federal desegregation rulings. Black families’ pursuit of educational rights confronted authorities...

Loving v. Virginia overturns bans on interracial marriage

📅 12 June 1967

The Supreme Court ruled unanimously for Mildred and Richard Loving, invalidating state laws prohibiting interracial marriage. Their challenge confronted the state’s authority to police intimate life...