In this 1832 decision Cherokee Nation finally got to air its grievances about the State of Georgia before the Supreme Court through a Christian Missionary by the name of Samuel Worcester. Unlike Cherokee Nation v Georgia, the Supreme Court addressed the merits of the case and determined that the Georgia law that required Worcester to obtain a license before living on Cherokee land was unconstitutional because Cherokee Nation was a "distinct, independent political community" and Georgia's law can have no force there. Although the Cherokee won the battle they ultimately lost the war and were forcibly removed from Georgia along the Trail of Tears. Nevertheless, this decision laid the foundation of the framework governing the legal relationships among the Native Americans, the States and the Federal Government.

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Classroom Considerations

• Knovation Readability Score: 3 (1 low difficulty, 5 high difficulty)

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