1800-1850
This 1803 case established the principle of judicial review, giving the Supreme Court the power to strike down laws it deems unconstitutional.
Marbury v Madison
This 1857 decision declared that African Americans were not citizens and that Congress had no power to ban slavery in U.S. territories.
Dred Scott v Sandford
This 1962 case ruled that public school-sponsored prayer violated the First Amendment's Establishment Clause.
Engel v Vitale
In which case did the Court rule that the U.S. government could not block the publication of the Pentagon Papers?
NY Times v US
In this 1810 case, the Supreme Court ruled that states cannot pass laws invalidating contracts.
Fletcher v Peck
This 1896 decision upheld the constitutionality of racial segregation under the “separate but equal” doctrine.
Plessy v Ferguson
In this 1963 case, the Supreme Court ruled that the right to counsel is a fundamental right.
Gideon v Wainwright
This 1973 Supreme Court decision legalized abortion nationwide, establishing a woman's right to choose.
Roe v Wade
This 1819 case upheld the constitutionality of the national bank and denied a state's power to tax it.
McCulloch v Maryland
This 1919 case upheld the conviction of a man who distributed anti-draft leaflets during World War I, establishing the “clear and present danger” test.
Schenck v US
This 1964 Supreme Court decision established that public figures must prove actual malice in libel cases.
NY Times v Sullivan
This 1974 Supreme Court case resulted in a unanimous ruling that President Nixon had to turn over White House tapes.
US v Nixon
In this 1824 case, the Supreme Court ruled that the federal government has the sole power to regulate interstate commerce.
Gibbons v Ogden
In this 1944 decision, the Supreme Court upheld the government's internment of Japanese Americans during World War II as a matter of national security.
Korematsu v US
This 1965 case established the right to privacy.
Griswold v Connecticut
This 2000 Supreme Court decision effectively ended the recount, declaring George W. Bush the winner of the presidential election.
Bush v Gore
In this 1832 case, the Supreme Court ruled that states had no authority to regulate Native American lands.
Worcester v Georgia
This 1954 case overturned “separate but equal,” declaring racial segregation in public schools unconstitutional under the 14th Amendment.
Brown v Board of Education
This 1966 case required police to inform suspects of their rights to remain silent and to an attorney during questioning. "Miranda Rights"
Miranda v Arizona
This 1969 Supreme Court case protected students' right to protest in schools, ruling that wearing black armbands to protest the Vietnam War was a form of free speech.
Tinker v Des Moines (1969)