Question

In 1832, President Andrew Jackson said, "John Marshall has made his decision; now let him enforce it." To what was President Jackson referring?

A) Marshall's decision to forcibly remove the Cherokees from their native lands.
B) Marshall's letter declaring that removal of the Cherokees was unjust and illegal.
C) Worcester v. Georgia ruling that state laws did not apply to the Cherokee Nation.
D) Worcester v. Georgia ruling that state laws did not apply to the Seminole Nation.

Answer 1

President Andrew Jackson was referring to the Worcester v. Georgia ruling that state laws did not apply to the Cherokee Nation, but he refused to enforce the Supreme Court's decision. The correct answer is option: C) Worcester v. Georgia ruling that state laws did not apply to the Cherokee Nation.

Step-by-step explanation:

When President Andrew Jackson said, "John Marshall has made his decision; now let him enforce it," he was referring to Chief Justice John Marshall's ruling in Worcester v. Georgia. This landmark Supreme Court case in 1832 established that states could not impose their laws on Native American lands, specifically ruling that Georgia's laws did not apply to the Cherokee Nation.

Despite the Supreme Court's decision, which upheld the tribal sovereignty of the Cherokee, President Jackson refused to enforce the ruling, which indirectly supported Georgia's policies and perpetuated the forced removal of the Cherokee people, an event that became known as the Trail of Tears. Therefore, the correct answer is C) Worcester v. Georgia ruling that state laws did not apply to the Cherokee Nation.