The Significance of Worcester v. Georgia The Supreme Court case of Worcester v. Georgia holds great historical significance for its ruling on native sovereignty and also its failure to help the Cherokee The Cherokee are one of the indigenous people of the Southeastern Woodlands of the United States. Prior to the 18th century, they were concentrated in what is now southwestern North Carolina, southeastern Tennessee, and the tips of western South Carolina and northeastern Georgia.Cherokee
What was Worcester v. Georgia?
Case Summary of Worcester v. Georgia: Worcester, and a group of missionaries, did missionary work on Cherokee land in violation of Georgia law. The Georgia law required that “white persons” only enter Cherokee land with a license and after having sworn a loyalty oath to Georgia. Worcester and the missionaries were convicted of violating the law.
Why was Worcester vs Georgia important?
Worcester v. Georgia is a landmark decision because it supported subsequent laws pertaining to the autonomy of Native American lands in the United States. The political autonomy Native American tribes have today is based, in part, on the precedent of Worcester v. Georgia . Unfortunately, the case did not stop the Cherokee from being forced from their land in 1838. It occurred during the event known as the “Trail of Tears,” in which 15,000 Cherokee were marched westward on a terrible journey, resulting in the deaths of about 4,000 Cherokee.
What was the missionary work of Samuel Worcester?
Statement of the Facts: A group of white missionaries, which included Samuel Worcester, were doing missionary work in Cherokee territory in the State of Georgia. The group was not only doing religious missionary work but was also giving the Cherokee advice on how to resist Georgia state laws. The Cherokee were a self-governing people who had ...
How did the Cherokee Nation interact with the United States?
Constitution and any federal laws. Accordingly, the laws of Georgia regarding the Cherokee nation interfered with the federal government ’s authority, and with the relations between the Cherokee and the United States.
What was Worcester convicted of?
Worcester and the missionaries were convicted of violating the law.
How many Cherokee died in the Trail of Tears?
It occurred during the event known as the “Trail of Tears,” in which 15,000 Cherokee were marched westward on a terrible journey, resulting in the deaths of about 4,000 Cherokee.
When did Georgia prohibit white people from living on Cherokee land?
In response to Worcester and his fellow missionaries, Georgia passed a law in 1831 that prohibited “white persons” from living on Cherokee lands unless they obtained a license to do so from the governor of Georgia, and swore a loyalty oath to the State of Georgia.
Background of Cherokee Nation & Georgia
Summary of Worcester V Georgia
- After three days of hearing arguments the Supreme Court came to a decision in the Worcester v. Georgia case. On March 3, 1832 Chief Justice John Marshall wrote the majority opinion which can be summarized as follows: 1. The Georgia law requiring white men to obtain a license to live on Cherokee lands was unconstitutional as individual states’ laws have no force on Native America…
Who Won The Worcester v. Georgia Supreme Court Case?
- The Supreme Court case in Worcester v. Georgia had two winners and two clear losers. Samuel Worcester was the obvious winner and the state of Georgia the clear loser in the most literal sense. In terms of the broader implications of the ruling and the aftermath of the case, the Supreme Court emerged as a huge winner while the Cherokee Nation was the undisputed loser.…
The Significance of Worcester v. Georgia
- The Supreme Court case of Worcester v. Georgiaholds great historical significance for its ruling on native sovereignty and also its failure to help the Cherokee Nation retain its lands. While the decision should have been a massive victory for the Cherokee, it proved a hollow one. In the aftermath the federal government doubled its efforts in attem...
Sources
- 1) Breyer, Stephen. “The Cherokee Indians and the Supreme Court.” The Georgia Historical Quarterly, vol. 87, no. 3/4, Georgia Historical Society, 2003, pp. 408–26, http://www.jstor.org/stable/40584687. 2) Sundquist, Matthew L. “WORCESTER V. GEORGIA: A BREAKDOWN IN THE SEPARATION OF POWERS.” American Indian Law Review, vol. 35, no. 1, Un…