What did the Supreme Court rule in Cherokee Nation v. Georgia and Worcester v. Georgia?
In Cherokee Nation v. Georgia, the Supreme Court ruled in 1831 that the Cherokee Nation was not a foreign state with the ability to sue in a U.S. court, but rather a "domestic dependent nation" that was not entitled to the same rights as a sovereign state.
In Worcester v. Georgia, decided in 1832, the Supreme Court ruled that the state of Georgia did not have the authority to regulate the Cherokee Nation or impose its laws on them. The court held that the Cherokee Nation was a sovereign entity and that only the federal government had the authority to make agreements with Native American tribes. This decision affirmed the tribe's right to self-governance and set a precedent for government-to-government relations with Native American tribes.