Includes bibliographical references and index.

To 1896. The case of the disappointed office-seeker: Marbury v. Madison (1803) -- The case of the larcenous cashier: M'Culloch v. Maryland (1819) -- The case of the rival steamboat operators: Gibbons v. Ogden (1824) -- The case of the missionary to the Cherokee: Worchester v. Georgia (1832) -- The case of the zealous slave catcher: Prigg v. Pennsylvania (1842) -- The case of the slave who would be free: Dred Scott v. Sandford (1857) -- The case of the antiwar agitator: Ex parte Milligan (1866) -- The case of the New Orleans butchers: The slaughterhouse cases (1873) -- The case of the woman who wanted to be a lawyer: Bradwell v. Illinois (1873) -- The case of the devout bigamist: Reynolds v. United States (1879) -- The case of the reluctant strike leader: In re Debs (1895) -- Since 1896. The case of the almost-white traveler: Plessy v. Ferguson (1896) -- The case of the stubborn baker: Lochner v. New York (1905) -- The case of the gentle anarchist: Abrams v. United States (1919) -- The case of the high-tech bootlegger: Olmstead v. United States (1928) -- The four horsemen's last ride: the New Deal Cases (1930s) -- The case of the conscientious schoolchildren: the Flag-salute cases (1940 and 1943) -- The case of too-long-delayed equality: Brown v. Board of Education (1954 and 1955) -- The case of the robust press: New York Times v. Sullivan (1964) -- The case of the uninformed rapist: Miranda v. Arizona (1966) -- The case that aroused great passions: Roe v. Wade (1973) -- Coming out of the closet and into the courts: the gay rights cases (1986-2003) -- The constitution besieged: the war on terror cases (2000s).

"Supreme Decisions: Great Constitutional Cases and Their Impact covers twenty-three Supreme Court cases that have shaped American constitutional law. Interpretive chapters shed light on the nuances of each case, the individuals involved, and the social, political, and cultural context at that particular moment in history. Discussing cases from nearly every decade in a two-hundred-year span, Melvin I. Urofsky expounds on the political climate of the United States from the country's infancy through the new millennium. Featuring Marbury v. Madison, Dred Scott v. Sandford, Miranda v. Arizona, Brown v. Board of Education, and many more, this text covers foundational rulings and more recent decisions. Written with students in mind, Melvin I. Urofsky offers compelling and fascinating accounts of American legal milestones."--p. [4] of cover.