1. Explain Supreme Court case Worcester v. Georgia, what was the case about?

Question

2. What was the outcome of their decision?

3. How did Jackson respond to the decision?

4. What was the effect on the Native Americans?

In 5 sentences

Answer 1

1. The Supreme Court case Worcester v. Georgia (1832) centered around the sovereignty of Native American nations and the jurisdiction of state laws over tribal lands. Samuel Worcester, a missionary, was convicted for residing in Cherokee territory without a state license, and he challenged Georgia's authority over the tribe.

2. The outcome of the Supreme Court's decision was that the Court ruled in favor of Worcester, asserting that Georgia's laws had no authority within Cherokee territory and recognizing the Cherokees as a distinct political community entitled to federal protection.

3. President Andrew Jackson reportedly responded to the decision by defying the ruling, famously suggesting that he would not enforce it, famously paraphrased as, "John Marshall has made his decision; now let him enforce it."

4. The effect on Native Americans was devastating, as the federal government ultimately sided with state interests, leading to the forced removal of the Cherokee and other tribes from their ancestral lands through policies like the Indian Removal Act, culminating in the tragic Trail of Tears.