Chisholm v. Georgia (1793)

1) Link to the Actual Opinion
Read the U.S. Reports opinion (PDF)

2) Summary of the Opinion
A South Carolina citizen sued the State of Georgia in federal court. The Supreme Court allowed it under Article III jurisdiction.

3) Why It Mattered
The decision sparked outrage and directly led to the Eleventh Amendment, which barred such suits and reshaped state sovereign immunity.

4) What It Provided or Took Away

Hylton v. United States (1796)

1) Link to the Actual Opinion
Read the U.S. Reports opinion (PDF)

2) Summary of the Opinion
This case challenged a federal carriage tax as an unconstitutional “direct tax.” The Supreme Court ruled it was an indirect tax, so apportionment by population wasn’t required.

3) Why It Mattered
It provided the first real interpretation of what counts as a “direct tax” under the Constitution, influencing later disputes about income taxes and other federal levies.

Marbury v. Madison (1803)

1) Link to the Actual Opinion
Read the U.S. Reports opinion (PDF)

2) Summary of the Opinion
William Marbury asked the Supreme Court to order Secretary of State James Madison to deliver Marbury’s judicial commission. Chief Justice John Marshall held that Marbury had a right to the commission, but the statute giving the Supreme Court original jurisdiction to issue the writ went beyond Article III. Because that part of the statute conflicted with the Constitution, it was void.