Which Supreme Court case decided in 1832 addressed Native American sovereignty and the authority of Georgia over Cherokee affairs?

• A. Worcester v. Georgia
• B. Cherokee Nation v. Georgia
• C. Marbury v. Madison
• D. McCulloch v. Maryland

Answer: (A)

This question centers on tribal sovereignty and federal authority over Native lands in the early United States. In Worcester v. Georgia (1832), the Supreme Court ruled that the Cherokee Nation is a distinct political community with its own laws and that Georgia’s laws had no force within Cherokee territory. The decision established that the federal government, not the states, handles relations with Native nations, effectively recognizing Cherokee sovereignty on their lands.

This matters because it highlights the clash between state power and federal authority in Indian affairs, showing that states cannot unilaterally impose their laws on Cherokee territory. The ruling, though, was not consistently enforced by the other branches, and the Cherokee faced removal despite the decision, illustrating the limits of judicial power when executive action diverges.

For context, other landmark cases from the era deal with related issues of governmental power: Marbury v. Madison established judicial review, shaping how courts check federal authority, while McCulloch v. Maryland reinforced federal supremacy over states and supported implied powers. Worcester v. Georgia applies those broader principles directly to Native nations and state encroachment.