Question

In Worcester v. Georgia (1832), why did the Supreme Court rule that Georgia did not have the authority to remove the Cherokees from their land?

A: Only the federal government had the authority to deal with a sovereign nation.

B: Only federal law, not state law, applies to American Indian individuals.

C: It was illegal for Georgia to take this land from an individual.

D: Cherokee land was considered federal land and did not belong to Georgia.

Answer 1

Worcester v. Georgia involved a group of white Christian missionaries, including Samuel A. Worcester, who were living in Cherokee territory in Georgia. In addition to their missionary work, the men were advising the Cherokee about resisting Georgia’s attempts to impose state laws on the Cherokee Nation, a self-governing nation whose independence and right to its land had been guaranteed in treaties with the United States government. C i believe

Answer 2

Answer: B: Only federal law, not state law, applies to American Indian individuals.

When Georgia wanted to extend state laws on Cherokee tribal lands, the matter reached the Supreme Court of the United States. In the Cherokee Nation v. Georgia (1831), the Marshall Court ruled that the Cherokees were not a sovereign and independent nation, and therefore refused to hear the case. However, in Worcester v. State of Georgia (1832), the Court ruled that Georgia could not impose its laws in Cherokee territory, since only the national government - and not the state governments - had authority in Indian affairs.

Hope this helps!