Which Chief Justice ruled in Worcester v. Georgia that the Cherokee were not bound by state laws, only federal laws?

• A. John Marshall
• B. Andrew Jackson
• C. George Washington
• D. Thomas Jefferson

Answer: (A)

The main idea here is federal supremacy in Native American law and the recognition of tribal sovereignty. In Worcester v. Georgia, the Supreme Court held that the Cherokee Nation was a distinct political community and that Georgia’s laws had no force within Cherokee territory; only the federal government could regulate relations with the tribes. The opinion was written by Chief Justice John Marshall, making him the leader of the decision. This demonstrates how the Court asserted federal authority over states in matters involving Native tribes, even as later policies under Jackson often moved in the opposite direction.