Worcester v. Georgia

Worcester v. Georgia (1832) was a Supreme Court case where Samuel Worcester, a missionary, challenged Georgia's laws that restricted American Indian rights and excluded non-Native people from residing on Cherokee land without state permission. The Court ruled that Georgia's laws violated federal treaties with the Cherokee Nation and the U.S. Constitution, affirming that only the federal government had authority over Indian affairs. This decision upheld the sovereignty of the Cherokee Nation and limited state power, although Georgia and President Andrew Jackson ignored the ruling, leading to the forced removal of the Cherokee people along the Trail of Tears.