What happened? summerize the event of Worcester v. Georgia
1 answer
The event of Worcester v. Georgia occurred in 1832 and was a landmark Supreme Court case in which the Chief Justice John Marshall ruled that the state of Georgia had no authority to enforce laws within Cherokee territory. The case arose from the arrest of Samuel Worcester, a missionary who was living among the Cherokee Nation without obtaining a license from the state of Georgia. Worcester challenged the constitutionality of the Georgia law and argued that the Cherokee Nation had the right to govern themselves. In the verdict, Chief Justice Marshall declared that the Cherokee Nation was a distinct political community and possessed certain inherent rights and sovereignty. Therefore, Georgia's actions were deemed unconstitutional, and the state could not force its laws upon the Cherokee Nation. This ruling underscored the federal government's authority over Indian affairs and established the legal framework for Native American tribal sovereignty. However, President Andrew Jackson ignored the Supreme Court decision and proceeded with the forced removal of Native American tribes from their ancestral lands, known as the Trail of Tears.