Final answer:
In Cherokee Nation v. Georgia, the Supreme Court ruled that the Cherokee Nation did not qualify as a foreign nation, considering it a "domestic dependent nation." The Court lacked jurisdiction as the Cherokees were not U.S. citizens. This case highlighted the complex nature of Native American sovereignty in the early 19th century.
Step-by-step explanation:
The Supreme Court case, Cherokee Nation v. Georgia, ruled that the Cherokee Nation did not meet the criteria of being a foreign nation. The Marshall Court found the case to be outside their jurisdiction because the Cherokees were not U.S. citizens. Instead, they were considered a "domestic dependent nation" with respect to the United States. This designation implied that the Cherokee Nation was a distinct political entity but dependent and under the protection and authority of the U.S. The Cherokees had sought legal recourse to avoid removal from their ancestral lands due to the enforcement of state laws on their territory by Georgia, particularly after the discovery of gold in 1829.
The following year, in Worcester v. Georgia (1832), the Supreme Court ruled that states did not have the right to impose laws on Cherokee lands and that the federal government had exclusive authority over Indian affairs. These two cases reflect the complicated relationship between Native American tribes, states, and the federal government during a time when Native American sovereignty was being challenged.