What did the Supreme Court determine about the Cherokee Nation in Worcester v. Georgia?

In Worcester v. Georgia, the Supreme Court affirmed that the Cherokee Nation was a distinct community with its own laws. This landmark decision highlighted the sovereignty of the Cherokee Nation and recognized its right to self-governance. The Court ruled that the state of Georgia had no authority to impose its laws on the Cherokee lands or interfere with their governance, reinforcing the idea that Native American tribes possess a degree of autonomy similar to that of foreign nations within the United States.

This ruling marked a significant moment in the legal understanding of the relationships between Native American tribes and state governments, establishing that tribes are separate entities with the right to legislate their own paths without external interference. The implications of this decision underscored the federal government’s role in recognizing and upholding the sovereignty of tribes, even as the practical enforcement of this ruling faced challenges in subsequent years.