What did Worcester v. Georgia (1832) decide about Georgia's authority over Cherokee lands?

• A. Georgia law fully applies within Cherokee lands
• B. Federal government has no role in tribal regulation
• C. Georgia law applies in some parts but not all
• D. Georgia law did not apply in Cherokee territory; only the federal government could regulate tribes

Answer: (D)

Federal authority over Native American nations is the central idea here. Worcester v. Georgia held that Georgia had no jurisdiction to enforce its laws in Cherokee territory, because the Cherokee Nation was a distinct political community whose relations with the United States were governed by the federal government and its treaties. In other words, only Congress and the federal government could regulate tribes, and state laws could not operate within Cherokee lands. This ruling upheld a form of tribal sovereignty by recognizing that state authority over the Cherokee was invalid in their lands, though it was not ultimately enforced in practice.