Blog Post 2: The US Supreme Court

 Introduction

 

After reading about the Supreme Court through the History.com website, I gained an abundance of knowledge about the history and work of the Supreme court that I will share with you today! I already knew that the Supreme Court of the United States is at the top of the judicial brand in the United States government, but the website included some facts and details that I was not familiar with. 

 

The Beginning of the Supreme Court

 

Article Three of the US Constitution created the Supreme Court in 1789 and the Judiciary Act in 1789 gave guidelines for the structure. The Judiciary Act declared that the court would have six justices that serve until they retire or pass away. The court's first assembly took place on February 2, 1790 where they began to develop organizational guidelines. Their first decision took place on August 3, 1791 for the West v. Barnes case that involved a dispute where a farmer owed money to a family. 

 

Supreme Court Justices

 

While the first Supreme Court was made of six justices, it is now made up of nine. One of the nine justices is deemed the chief justice who oversees the court and schedules meetings. It is also the chief justice’s duty to lead cases involving impeachment of the president. John Marshall is a notable chief justice whose name always comes up in any US history course I have taken. One of his famous cases is Marbury v. Madison where he ruled that the court can review acts by the government if they are not in line with the Constitution. 

 

Supreme Court Cases

 

Throughout the years, cases taken to the Supreme Court have made many decisions that have lasting impacts on the country. Many of these cases also help citizens understand their rights and possible limitations regarding the first amendment. For example, in the case of Engel v. Vitale the court ruled that prayer in public schools violates the first amendment. Sometimes the rulings on such cases get taken to a deeper level like in the case of Santa Fe Independent School District v. Doe. In this example, the court ruled that students cannot say prayers into the school's speaker system. 

 

Conclusion

 

Overall the main takeaway is that the Supreme Court is important for the checks and balances system in the United States government because they check the actions of the executive and legislative branch. Additionally, Supreme Court decisions can make a big impact on the country and our understanding of our rights. There are still some things that have never been investigated or questioned relating to the government and taking cases to the Supreme Court offers citizens the chance to have their voices heard on a larger scale and potentially create change. 

 

Interested in reading about wacky supreme court cases? Check these out!