A History of the Supreme Court Including Some Landmark Case Decisions
Since the American Constitution was the first written constitution in the world, it created an entire wealth of laws and interpretations for the newly formed government. From 1787 until the mid-nineteenth century, the Supreme Court had to create policies and procedures while it heard cases. It literally had to "define itself" (Davis). While the founding fathers created a court system in 1787, it took until 1789 to truly define it and set up the basic system of the courts, which includes district courts and circuit courts. Historian Davis continues, "Three circuits, consisting of one district court judge and two Supreme Court justices, heard criminal cases and civil suits as well as appeals from the district courts" (Davis). Thus, the system was very different than it is today, where Supreme Court judges only rule on cases that have made it through the layers of district and state courts underneath them. In addition, Supreme Court justices were appointed to hold office as long as they had "good behavior" (Semonche 24), and that has always meant for "life" in the interpretation of the Court. Historian Semonche continues, "From the very beginning, then, the Court was charged with maintaining the national auth
THE MODERN SUPREME COURT In the 1980s, Justice William Rehnquist took over leadership of the Court and led for nearly 20 years. The second, Ruth Bader Ginsberg, was appointed by President Clinton in 1993. These laws really would not change until the Civil Rights Act of 1964 was passed. THE GROWTH YEARS Between 1865 and 1920, the Court saw many changes, and so did the American people. Gradually, the Court began to become more liberal in their views about big business, and by 1920, they were becoming more supportive of federal guidelines and oversight. The justices stopped riding circuit in 1891 after Congress eliminated that requirement because of the number of cases being heard and the mileages involved. When the Court ruled for big business, Congress passed the Sherman Antitrust Act of 1890, but the Court limited its applications, and then ruled against it in another case, which limited its scope and use even more. By the turn of the century, justices were hearing over 1,000 cases per year. It has become conservative, liberal, supportive, and restrictive, and has created some of the most far-reaching judicial decisions in the world. That tradition continues today, with the word of the Supreme Court the final ruling in the courts of the nation. The Court supported a rise in presidential authority, and most all of the President's platforms and reforms. This allowed big businesses to literally do just about anything they pleased, with little federal regulation or oversight. In effect, the court became more liberal and began to support civil rights and liberties, becoming one of the most "activist" courts in history (Davis). according to the best of my abilities and understanding agreeably to the constitution and laws of the United States'" (Semonche 40).
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