Charles River Bridge Co. v. Warren River Bridge, 11 Peters (36 U.S.) 420; 9 L. Ed. 773 (1837) Facts—The Charles River Bridge Company brought action to stop the construction of the Warren River Bridge on the ground that the act…

Trustees of Dartmouth College v. Woodward, 4 Wheaton (17 U.S.) 518; 4 L. Ed. 629 (1819) Facts—In 1769 the English Crown chartered Dartmouth College. Later, in 1816, the state legislature of New Hampshire passed a law completely reorganizing the government…

Fletcher v. Peck, 6 Cranch (10 U.S.) 87; 3 L. Ed. 162 (1810) Facts—John Peck deeded to Robert Fletcher lands in the state of Georgia, which had been bought from the state of Georgia. The contract was executed in the…

Calder v. Bull, 3 Dallas (3 U.S.) 386; 1 L. Ed. 648 (1798) Facts—A dispute arose between Calder and his wife on one side and Bull and his wife on the other side concerning a right to property left by…

Coleman v. Miller, 307 U.S. 433; 59 S. Ct. 972; 83 L. Ed. 1385 (1939) Facts—In June 1924 Congress proposed the Child Labor Amendment. In January 1925 the legislature of Kansas adopted a resolution rejecting the proposed amendment, and sent…

Dillon v. Gloss, 256 U.S. 368; 41 S. Ct. 513; 65 L. Ed. 994 (1921) Facts—Dillon was taken into custody under the National Prohibition Act of October 28, 1919 for transporting intoxicating liquor. He petitioned the court and sought to…

Hawke v. Smith, 253 U.S. 221; 40 S. Ct. 495; 64 L. Ed. 871 (1920) Facts—Hawke, a citizen of Ohio, sought to enjoin the secretary of state of Ohio from spending public money in preparing and printing ballots for a…

National Prohibition Cases (Rhode Island v. Palmer), 253 U.S. 350; 40 S. Ct. 486; 64 L. Ed. 946 (1920) Facts—The National Prohibition Cases consisted of seven cases questioning the constitutionality and legality of the Eighteenth Amendment and asking the lower…

Hollingsworth v. Virginia, 3 Dallas (3 U.S.) 378; 1 L. Ed. 644 (1798) Facts—After the Court’s decision in Chisholm v. Georgia (1793), Congress proposed the Eleventh Amendment providing that no state could be sued by citizens of another state, or…

Garcia v. San Antonio Metropolitan Transit Authority, 469 U.S. 528; 105 S. Ct. 1005; 83 L. Ed. 2d 1016 (1985) Facts—The San Antonio Metropolitan Transit Authority (SAMTA) is a public mass transit authority. The Department of Labor held that SAMTA’s…