Major Supreme court cases Flashcards
Marbury vs. Madison (1803)
Established judicial review, giving the Supreme Court the power to declare laws unconstitutional.
McCulloch v. Maryland (1819)
Confirmed that congress can make a national bank and Maryland cannot tax it
Gibbons v. Ogden (1824)
Said only the government can regulate trade between the states
Dred Scott v. Sandford (1857)
Declared that African Americans were not U.S. citizens and invalidated the Missouri Compromise.
Plessy v. Ferguson (1896)
Upheld racial segregation under the “separate but equal” doctrine.
Brown v. Board of Education (1954)
Overturned Plessy, declaring that racial segregation in public schools is unconstitutional.
Loving v. Virginia (1967)
Struck down laws banning interracial marriage.
Regents of the University of California v. Bakke (1978)
Addressed affirmative action in college admissions.
Miranda v. Arizona (1966)
required police to inform suspects of their rights before questioning.
Gideon v. Wainwright (1963)
Guaranteed the right to lawyers for criminal defendants.
Mapp v. Ohio (1961)
Established the exclusionary rule, preventing illegally obtained evidence from being used in court.
Schenck v. United States (1919)
Established the “clear and present danger” test for restricting free speech.
New York Times v. United States (1971)
Strengthened press freedom by allowing the publication of the Pentagon Papers.
Texas v. Johnson (1989)
Ruled that burning the American flag is protected free speech.
Griswold v. Connecticut (1965)
established the right to privacy in personal matters
Roe v. Wade (1973)
Legalized abortion nationwide, citing privacy rights (overturned by Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization in 2022).
Obergefell v. Hodges (2015)
Legalized same-sex marriage nationwide.
United States v. Nixon (1974)
Limited presidential power by ordering Nixon to release the Watergate tapes.
Bush v. Gore (2000)
Effectively decided the 2000 presidential election by halting a Florida recount.
