Which Chief Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court issued the Worcester v. Georgia ruling recognizing the Cherokee Nation as a sovereign nation?

• A. Roger B. Taney
• B. John Roberts
• C. John Marshall
• D. Earl Warren

Answer: (C)

John Marshall wrote the Worcester v. Georgia ruling, establishing that the Cherokee Nation was a distinct political community with its own sovereignty and that state laws could not operate within Cherokee territory. He argued that the federal government, not the states, had authority over Indian nations, and that treaties with the Cherokee protected their sovereignty as the supreme law in this area. This decision sets a clear limit on state power and affirms federal supremacy in Indian affairs, a hallmark of Marshall’s leadership on the Court. The other chiefs listed served in different eras, so they did not author this ruling.