List of United States Supreme Court cases by the Waite Court

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Supreme Court of the United States
Waite Court
March 4, 1874 – March 23, 1888
(14 years, 19 days)
Seat Old Senate Chamber
Washington, D.C.
No. of positions 9
Waite Court decisions
Seal of the United States Supreme Court.svg

This is a partial chronological list of cases decided by the United States Supreme Court during the tenure of Chief Justice Morrison Waite from March 4, 1874, through March 23, 1888.

Case nameCitationSummary
Totten v. United States 92 U.S. 105 (1875)Jurisdiction over espionage agreements.
Rubber-Tip Pencil Co. v. Howard 87 U.S. 498 (1874)Patent eligibility of abstract ideas.
Murdock v. City of Memphis 87 U.S. 590 (1875)Jurisdiction over state court decisions.
Minor v. Happersett 88 U.S. 162 (1875) Fourteenth Amendment and the right of women to vote.
Kohl v. United States 91 U.S. 367 (1875)Eminent domain.
Phillips v. Payne 92 U.S. 105 (1875)Validity of retrocession of Alexandria County from the District of Columbia to Virginia.
United States v. Reese 92 U.S. 214 (1876) Fifteenth Amendment and the right to vote.
Chy Lung v. Freeman 92 U.S. 275 (1876)Federal power to set rules surrounding immigration.
United States v. Cruikshank 92 U.S. 542 (1875)Application of the First and Second Amendments to the states.
Munn v. Illinois 94 U.S. 113 (1876)Corporations and agricultural regulation.
Cochrane v. Deener 94 U.S. 780 (1876)Patent eligibility of processes.
Mobile Life Insurance Co. v. Brame 95 U.S. 754 (1877)Cause for civil action for murder at common law and the Civil Code of Louisiana.
Pennoyer v. Neff 95 U.S. 714 (1877)Bases of personal jurisdiction over defendants.
Davidson v. City of New Orleans 96 U.S. 97 (1878)Procedural requirements of the Fourteenth Amendment's Due Process Clause.
City of Elizabeth v. American Nicholson Pavement Co. 97 U.S. 126 (1878)Experimental use exception to the on-sale bar in United States patent law.
United States v. Throckmorton 98 U.S. 61 (1878) Intrinsic and extrinsic fraud distinguished.
Reynolds v. United States 98 U.S. 145 (1878) Polygamy and freedom of religion.
Wilkerson v. Utah 99 U.S. 130 (1878) Capital punishment.
Trade-Mark Cases 100 U.S. 82 (1879) Copyright Clause does not give Congress the power to regulate trademarks.
Baker v. Selden 101 U.S. 99 (1879)Differences between copyright & patent law.
Strauder v. West Virginia 100 U.S. 303 (1880)Exclusion of blacks from juries.
Springer v. United States 102 U.S. 586 (1881)Constitutionality of income tax set up by the Revenue Act of 1864.
Kilbourn v. Thompson 103 U.S. 168 (1880)Limitations on Congressional investigations.
Egbert v. Lippmann 104 U.S. 333 (1881)Early case concerning the on-sale bar in patent law.
United States v. McBratney 104 U.S. 621 (1881)Congress must explicitly reserve jurisdiction over Native American lands when admitting a State to the union.
United States v. Lee 106 U.S. 196 (1882)Federal sovereign immunity does not extend to government officers.
Ex parte Curtis 106 U.S. 371 (1882)Constitutionality of a law prohibiting government officers from requesting, giving to, or receiving from other government officers any amount of money for political purposes.
Pace v. Alabama 106 U.S. 583 (1883)Affirmed that Alabama's anti-miscegenation statute banning interracial marriage and interracial sex was not a violation of the Fourteenth Amendment.
United States v. Harris (the Ku Klux Case) 106 U.S. 629 (1883)No Congressional power to pass ordinary criminal statutes.
Civil Rights Cases 109 U.S. 3 (1883)Power of federal government to prohibit racial discrimination by private parties.
Ex parte Crow Dog 109 U.S. 556 (1883)Repeal of law dealing with Native American Indians requires express language by Congress.
Kellogg Bridge Co. v. Hamilton 110 U.S. 108 (1884)An implied warranty of fitness for a particular purpose exists when the seller is also the manufacturer.
Juilliard v. Greenman 110 U.S. 421 (1884)Constitutionality of issuing greenbacks as legal tender.
Hurtado v. California 110 U.S. 516 (1884)No requirement under the Fourteenth Amendment that states use a grand jury to indict a defendant in a murder prosecution.
Burrow-Giles Lithographic Co. v. Sarony 111 U.S. 53 (1884) Copyrightability of photographs.
New England Mutual Life Insurance Co. v. Woodworth 111 U.S. 138 (1884) insurance law
Elk v. Wilkins 112 U.S. 94 (1884)Native Americans born on Indian reservations are not entitled to birthright citizenship under the Fourteenth Amendment's Citizenship Clause.
Head Money Cases 112 U.S. 580 (1884)Acts of Congress affecting the enforcement, modification, or repeal of treaties are constitutional.
Cole v. La Grange 113 U.S. 1 (1885)The court held that the Missouri legislature could not authorize a city to issue bonds to assist corporations in their private business.
Head v. Amoskeag Manufacturing Co. 113 U.S. 9 (1885)
Barbier v. Connolly 113 U.S. 27 (1885)
Liverpool, New York & Philadelphia Steamship Co. v. Commissioners of Emigration 113 U.S. 33 (1885)
Davison v. Von Lingen 113 U.S. 40 (1885)
Drennen v. London Assurance Co. 113 U.S. 51 (1885)
Hollister v. Benedict & Burnham Manufacturing Co. 113 U.S. 59 (1885)
Hess v. Reynolds 113 U.S. 73 (1885)
Polleys v. Black River Improvement Co. 113 U.S. 81 (1885)
Pullman Palace Car Co. v. Speck 113 U.S. 84 (1885)
Griffith v. Godey 113 U.S. 89 (1885)
Rowell v. Lindsay 113 U.S. 97 (1885)
Findlay v. McAllister 113 U.S. 104 (1885)
Central Railroad & Banking Co. of Ga. v. Pettus 113 U.S. 116 (1885)An appeal regarding monies owed and a lein upon the roadbed, depots, side tracks, turnouts, trestles, and bridges owned and used by the appellants.
Steele v. United States 113 U.S. 128 (1885)
Clawson v. United States 113 U.S. 143 (1885)
Bicknell v. Comstock 113 U.S. 149 (1885)
United States v. Mueller 113 U.S. 153 (1885)
Consolidated Safety-Valve Co. v. Crosby Steam Gauge & Valve Co. 113 U.S. 157 (1885)
Bryan v. Kennett 113 U.S. 179 (1885)
Northern Liberty Market Co. v. Kelly 113 U.S. 199 (1885)
Tucker v. Masser 113 U.S. 203 (1885)
Cardwell v. American Bridge Co. 113 U.S. 205 (1885)
Voss v. Fisher 113 U.S. 213 (1885)
Price v. Pennsylvania Railroad Co. 113 U.S. 218 (1885)
Dakota County v. Glidden 113 U.S. 222 (1885)
Caillot v. Deetken 113 U.S. 215 (1885)
Cheong Ah Moy v. United States 113 U.S. 216 (1885)
Anderson County Commissioners v. Beal 113 U.S. 227 (1885)
Harvey v. United States 113 U.S. 243 (1885)
Central Railroad Co. of New Jersey v. Mills 113 U.S. 249 (1885)
Presser v. Illinois 116 U.S. 252 (1886)
Looney v. District of Columbia 113 U.S. 258 (1885)
Nashville, Chattanooga & St. Louis Railway Co. v. United States 113 U.S. 261 (1885)
Coon v. Wilson 113 U.S. 268 (1885)
Spaids v. Cooley 113 U.S. 278 (1885)
Sully v. Drennan 113 U.S. 287 (1885)
Avegno v. Schmidt 113 U.S. 293 (1885)title to mortgaged property confiscated by the U.S. government during the Civil War
Stone v. Chisolm 113 U.S. 302 (1885)
Thornley v. United States 113 U.S. 310 (1885)
Baylis v. Travellers' Ins. Co. 113 U.S. 316 (1885)right to trial by jury in a civil case
Pneumatic Gas Co. v. Berry 113 U.S. 322 (1885)
Ex parte Bigelow 113 U.S. 328 (1885)
City of Quincy v. Jackson 113 U.S. 332 (1885)
Town of Santa Anna v. Frank 113 U.S. 339 (1885)
McArthur v. Scott 113 U.S. 340 (1885)
Cannon v. United States 118 U.S. 355 (1885)
Hyatt v. Vincennes National Bank 113 U.S. 408 (1885)
United States v. Jordan 113 U.S. 418 (1885)
Chicago & Northwestern Railway Co. v. Crane 113 U.S. 424 (1885)
Prentice v. Stearns 113 U.S. 435 (1885)
Morgan v. Hamlet 113 U.S. 449 (1885)
Chase v. Curtis 113 U.S. 452 (1885)
St. Louis, Iron Mountain & Southern Railway Co. v. Berry 113 U.S. 465 (1885)
Morgan v. United States 113 U.S. 476 (1885)
Provident Institution for Savings v. Mayor of Jersey City 113 U.S. 506 (1885)
Union Pacific Railway Co. v. Cheyenne 113 U.S. 516 (1885)
Erhardt v. Boaro, (113 U.S. 527) 113 U.S. 527 (1885)
Erhardt v. Boaro, (113 U.S. 537) 113 U.S. 537 (1885)
Richards v. Mackall 113 U.S. 539 (1885)
Peugh v. Davis 113 U.S. 542 (1885)
Gumbel v. Pitkin 113 U.S. 545 (1885)
Fussell v. Gregg 113 U.S. 550 (1885)
City of St. Louis v. Myers 113 U.S. 566 (1885)
Brown v. United States 113 U.S. 568 (1885)
Chicago Life Insurance Co. v. Needles 113 U.S. 574 (1885)
Pearce v. Ham 113 U.S. 585 (1885)
Ayers v. Watson 113 U.S. 594 (1885)
California Artificial Stone Paving Co. v. Molitor 113 U.S. 609 (1885)Patent infringement case on an improvement in concrete paving
Winona & St. Peter R. Co. v. Barney 113 U.S. 618 (1885)Public land grant for Railroad construction
Kansas Pacific R. Co. v. Dunmeyer 113 U.S. 629 (1885)Land ownership dispute
Schmieder v. Barney 113 U.S. 645 (1885)case regarding description of articles subject to duty
Camp v. United States 113 U.S. 648 (1885)case to recover an alleged balance due as compensation for collecting and delivering to the United States a large amount of cotton in bales which was captured and abandoned property
Maxwell's Executors v. Wilkinson 113 U.S. 656 (1885)writ of error brought by the executors of a former collector of the port of New York to reverse a judgment in an action brought against him by the defendant in error to recover duties paid by them on imported iron
Flagg v. Walker 113 U.S. 659 (1885)case where the deeds for several parcels of land were transferred from Flagg, who was in financial difficulty, to Walker in return for paying off Flagg's debts and profits from the sale against a mortgage for other property owned by Flagg.
Blake v. City and County of San Francisco 113 U.S. 679 (1885)
Fourth National Bank of St. Louis v. Stout 113 U.S. 684 (1885)
Boyer v. Boyer 113 U.S. 689 (1885)
Soon Hing v. Crowley 113 U.S. 703 (1885)
United States v. Indianapolis & St. Louis Railroad Co. 113 U.S. 711 (1885)
Ex parte Fisk 113 U.S. 713 (1885)
Cooper Manufacturing Co. v. Ferguson 113 U.S. 727 (1885)
Carter v. Burr 113 U.S. 737 (1885)
Gregory v. Hartley 113 U.S. 742 (1885)
United States v. Steever 113 U.S. 747 (1885)Prize amounts under the Prize Act of 1864.
Hardin v. Boyd 113 U.S. 756 (1885)
Presser v. Illinois 116 U.S. 252 (1886)Application of the Second Amendment to the states.
Railroad Commission Cases 116 U.S. 307 (1886) contracts, police power, regulation of transport
Boyd v. United States 116 U.S. 616 (1886)A law compelling a person to produce an invoice or other papers is an unconstitutional search and seizure under the Fourth Amendment and unconstitutionally compelled self-incrimination under the Fifth Amendment.
Yick Wo v. Hopkins 118 U.S. 356 (1886)The Equal Protection Clause protects noncitizens from discriminatory state legislation; Facially neutral laws may still violate the Equal Protection Clause if enforced in a discriminatory manner.
United States v. Kagama 118 U.S. 375 (1886)Federal court jurisdiction over crimes committed on Indian reservations
Santa Clara County v. Southern Pacific Railroad 118 U.S. 394 (1886)Corporate personhood.
Wabash, St. Louis & Pacific Railway Company v. Illinois 118 U.S. 557 (1886)Regulation of interstate commerce by individual states.
Ker v. Illinois 119 U.S. 436 (1886)Legality of abduction of criminal suspect abroad.
Ex parte Bain 121 U.S. 1 (1887)Federal indictments cannot be changed without resubmission to a grand jury.
Runkle v. United States 122 U.S. 543 (1887)The president cannot delegate the power vested in him to pass finally upon the sentence when he is the only person to whom has been committed the judicial power of making a final determination.
The Telephone Cases 126 U.S. 1 (1888) Patent law.

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This page serves as an index of lists of United States Supreme Court cases. The United States Supreme Court is the highest federal court of the United States.

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Morrison Remick "Mott" Waite was an American attorney, jurist, and politician from Ohio who served as the seventh chief justice of the United States from 1874 until his death in 1888. During his tenure, the Waite Court took a narrow interpretation of federal authority related to laws and amendments that were enacted during the Reconstruction Era to expand the rights of freedmen and protect them from attacks by white supremacy groups such as the Ku Klux Klan.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bancroft Davis</span> American politician (1822–1907)

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<i>Reynolds v. United States</i> 1879 United States Supreme Court case

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Melville Fuller</span> Chief justice of the United States from 1888 to 1910

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Criminal law in the Waite Court</span>

During the tenure of Morrison Waite as Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States, the Supreme Court heard an unprecedented volume and frequency of criminal cases. In just fourteen years, the Court heard 106 criminal cases, almost as many cases as the Supreme Court had heard in the period from its creation to the appointment of Waite as Chief Justice. Notable cases include United States v. Cruikshank (1875), United States v. Reese (1875), Reynolds v. United States (1878), Wilkerson v. Utah (1879), the Trade-Mark Cases (1879), Strauder v. West Virginia (1880), Pace v. Alabama (1883), United States v. Harris (1883), Ex parte Crow Dog (1883), Hurtado v. California (1884), Clawson v. United States (1885), Yick Wo v. Hopkins (1886), United States v. Kagama (1886), Ker v. Illinois (1886), and Mugler v. Kansas (1887).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Waite Court</span> Period of the US Supreme Court from 1874 to 1888

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fuller Court</span> Period of the US Supreme Court from 1888 to 1910

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