"The Cherokee Nation, then, is a distinct community, in which the laws of Georgia can have no force, and which the citizens of Georgia have no right to enter, but with the assent of the Cherokees themselves, or in conformity with treaties, and with the acts of Congress. The whole intercourse between the United States and this nation, is, by our Constitution and laws, vested in the government of the United States."
—Chief Justice John Marshall, Worcester v. Georgia, 1832
The Supreme Court decision excerpted above most directly reflected which of the following principles of the Marshall Court?
- AThe belief that state governments possessed the constitutional authority to regulate commerce and territory within their borders.
- The assertion of federal supremacy and the exclusive authority of the national government over treaty relations.Answer
- CThe effort to align federal judicial rulings with the Democratic-Republican preference for strict construction of the Constitution.
- DThe application of the Monroe Doctrine to shield sovereign indigenous territories from foreign European intervention.
Answer
The correct answer is the option stating that the decision reinforced federal authority and treaty-making power over state sovereignty.
The correct option is correct because the ruling in Worcester v. Georgia (1832) asserted that the federal government, not the states, held sole authority over relations with Native American tribes, thereby reinforcing federal supremacy and the supremacy of federal treaties over state laws.
Step-by-Step Solution
Key Concept
The Marshall Court consistently ruled to strengthen the power of the federal government and establish federal supremacy over state laws.