Question

What Supreme Court ruling did the Indian Removal Act of 1830 go against when it ignored that Indian lands were sovereign and not technically part of the United States?

Answer 1

The Indian Removal Act of 1830 notably contradicted the Supreme Court ruling in *Worcester v. Georgia* (1832). In this case, the Court held that the Cherokee Nation was a distinct community with its own sovereign rights and that the state of Georgia had no authority to impose its laws within Cherokee territory. The ruling underscored the principle that Native American tribes are recognized as sovereign nations and that their lands were not subject to state jurisdiction. The Indian Removal Act led to the forced relocation of Native Americans, which directly ignored this important legal precedent regarding their sovereign status and rights to their lands.