Worcester v. Georgia What happened? Summarize the event!
Worcester v. Georgia was a landmark case in the United States that took place in 1832. The case revolved around an attempt by the state of Georgia to enforce its laws on Cherokee lands, in direct violation of a previous treaty between the Cherokee Nation and the federal government.
The plaintiff in the case was Samuel Worcester, a non-Native American missionary who was living and working on Cherokee lands. He was arrested and convicted for refusing to obtain a state-issued license to live on Cherokee territory. Worcester and his lawyers argued that the state of Georgia had no jurisdiction over Cherokee lands, as it was a violation of the Treaty of New Echota, which recognized the sovereignty of the Cherokee Nation.
The case eventually reached the Supreme Court, where Chief Justice John Marshall delivered the majority opinion. He ruled that the state of Georgia had no authority to regulate the activities of non-Native Americans on tribal lands. Marshall declared that the Cherokee Nation was a separate political entity with its own sovereignty, and that it was the federal government, not the states, which had authority over Native American affairs.
However, despite the Supreme Court ruling in favor of Worcester, President Andrew Jackson sided with the state of Georgia and refused to enforce the court's decision. Jackson famously declared, "John Marshall has made his decision; now let him enforce it." This defiance by the president reinforced the concept of states' rights and demonstrated the federal government's failure to protect Native American rights. Ultimately, this case led to the forced removal of the Cherokee Nation, known as the Trail of Tears, where thousands of Native Americans were forcibly displaced and many lost their lives.