Worcester v. Georgia
Worcester v. Georgia, 31 U.S. (6 Pet.) 515 (1832), was a case in which the United States Supreme Court vacated the conviction of Samuel Worcester and held that the Georgia criminal statute that prohibited non-Native Americans from being present on Native American lands without a license from the state was unconstitutional.
The opinion is most famous for its dicta, which laid out the relationship between tribes and the state and federal governments, stating that the federal government was the sole authority to deal with Indian nations. It is considered to have built the foundations of the doctrine of tribal sovereignty in the United States.
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American History USA Articles
- Indian Removal and the Trail of Tears
The Georgia Gold Rush and election of Andrew Jackson were disastrous for the Cherokee. The Indian Removal Act and the Trail of Tears soon followed.
Books/Sources
- Worcester v. Georgia: American Indian Rights (Supreme Court Milestones) - Susan Dudley Gold
- CHEROKEE INDIAN CASES Cherokee Nation v. Georgia 5 Peters 1 (1831) Worcester v. Georgia 6 Peters 515 (1832): An... - LEONARD W. LEVY
Youtube
- Freedom 101.2; Ep. 23: Cherokee Cases-Worcester v Georgia
- Freedom 101.2, Ep. 15: Cherokee Nation v. Georgia