Landmark Supreme Court Cases

The Supreme Court declared that states could not regulate commerce that went beyond their boundaries. Instead, regulation had to come from the federal government. The decision provided the basis for the formation of the Interstate Commerce Commission in 1887.

• Korematsu v. United States (1945)

• Regents of the University of California v. Bakke (1978)

• Wabash v. Illinois (1886)

• Tinker v. Des Moines School District (1969)

The Supreme Court ruled that speech can be restricted if it presents a “clear and present danger” to others.

• Schenck v. United States (1919)

• Miranda v. Arizona (1966)

• Roe v. Wade (1972)

• Kelo v. the City of New London and Kohl v. United States and United States v. Gettysburg Electric Railroad Company

The Supreme Court overturned Plessy v. Ferguson and said that “separate but equal” was unconstitutional; began school integration; ended school segregation.

• United States v. Nixon (1974)

• Plessy v. Ferguson (1896)

• Mapp v. Ohio (1961)

• Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka, Kansas (1954)

These cases all dealt with the idea of eminent domain and ruled that the constitution provides for the right of the government to take land from a private owner (with fair market compensation) for public use.

• Bush v. Gore (2000)

• Kelo v. the City of New London and Kohl v. United States and United States v. Gettysburg Electric Railroad Company

• Gideon v. Wainwright (1963)

• Engle v. Vitale (1962)

The Supreme Court ruled that at the time of arrest suspects cannot be questioned until informed of their rights.

• Miranda v. Arizona (1966)

• Tinker v. Des Moines School District (1969)

• Plessy v. Ferguson (1896)

• Roe v. Wade (1972)

The Supreme Court said that it can hardly be argued that either students or teachers shed their constitutional rights of freedom of speech or expression at the schoolhouse gate; they went on to rule that a public school could not suspend students who wore armbands to school to symbolize their freedom of expression (Vietnam War)

• United States v. Nixon (1974)

• Bush v. Gore (2000)

• Tinker v. Des Moines School District (1969)

• Engle v. Vitale (1962)

The Supreme Court ruled that African Americans could be provided “separate but equal” public facilities.

• Gideon v. Wainwright (1963)

• Schenck v. United States (1919)

• Mapp v. Ohio (1961)

• Plessy v. Ferguson (1896)

The Supreme Court declared that a person accused of a major crime had the right to legal counsel paid for by the state if the accused cannot afford one during a trial.

• Miranda v. Arizona (1966)

• Wabash v. Illinois (1886)

• Gideon v. Wainwright (1963)

• United States v. Nixon (1974)

The Supreme court agreed with the government and stated that the need to protect the country was a greater priority than the individual rights of the Japanese and Japanese Americans (Japanese internment).

• Roe v. Wade (1972)

• Korematsu v. United States (1945)

• Kelo v. the City of New London and Kohl v. United States and United States v. Gettysburg Electric Railroad Company

• Mapp v. Ohio (1961)

Affirmative action and equal protection. A college can use race as a factor for admission as long as it is not the only reason or to meet an arbitrary quota.

• Regents of the University of California v. Bakke (1978)

• Bush v. Gore (2000)

• Engle v. Vitale (1962)

• Plessy v. Ferguson (1896)