Slaughter-House Cases (1873)

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

2) Summary of the Opinion
Louisiana created a state-licensed slaughterhouse monopoly to regulate butchers. Independent butchers argued it violated the Privileges or Immunities Clause of the 14th Amendment. The Supreme Court upheld the monopoly and gave the Clause a very narrow interpretation, limiting it to rights of national citizenship, not state-level rights.

3) Why It Mattered
This was the Court’s first major interpretation of the 14th Amendment. It essentially gutted the Privileges or Immunities Clause, forcing later civil rights arguments to rely on Due Process and Equal Protection instead.