Review+of+Chapter+12+Court+Cases+-+by+Mr.+Wood

There are several court cases to know from this chapter, all of which demonstrate the growing power of the judicial branch, if not, the entire federal government, in comparison to state governments. Listed below is a brief explanation of these cases and how this demonstrates the power of the federal government.


 * Case:** McCulloch v. Maryland (1819)
 * Overview:** The state of Maryland attempted to tax all bank notes which were not issued by a Maryland bank. This, in essence, was set up to tax the Bank of the United States.
 * Significance:** This showed that the states A) cannot tax federal government institutions, but more importantly, B) cannot impede valid acts of Congress as outlined by the Constitution. In other words, the states may not regulate federal institutions.


 * Case:** Cohens v. Virginia (1821)
 * Overview:** The Cohen brothers were accused of selling illegal lottery tickets in Washington D.C. in violation of state law.
 * Significance:** This case ascertained the right of the Supreme Court to review criminal convictions in state cases where the defendants believe their Constitutional rights have been violated. (As an aside, the Supreme Court agreed that the two men were guilty of the crime and that, in fact, their rights had not been violated.) This shows the right of the Supreme Court to review state laws to determine their constitutionality.


 * Case:** Gibbons v. Ogden (1824)
 * Overview:**Dealt with the question over who had the right to regulate interstate trade (in this case, the medium used was the railroads).
 * Significance**: This case declared the right of the federal government to regulate trade between states. (Thus, another example of the federal government having power over the states.)


 * Case:** Fletcher v. Peck (1810)
 * Overview:** Dealt with land obtained by private citizens of Georgia as a result of the Yazoo controversy. The newly elected legislature in Georgia declared all contracts of land purchased as a result of the Yazoo controversy null and void. The Supreme Court declared the act of the Georgia legislature unconstitutional.
 * Significance:** This established the right of the right of the Supreme Court to review the constitutionality of state laws, once again, declaring the supremacy of the federal government over the state governments.


 * Case:** Dartmouth College v. Woodward (1819)
 * Overview:** The state of New Hampshire attempted to force Dartmouth College to become a public university. The board of trustees refused and the case worked its way to the Supreme Court where the Court ruled that the state of New Hampshire acted in an unconstitutional manner.
 * Significance:** This case said that the states may not void contracts. This case limited the rights of individual states and furthermore, opened the door for corporations to grow during this time period.