Question

1. in the worcester v. georgia (1832) case, the supreme court ruled that: american indian tribes were no longer sovereign. american indian tribes could be taxed by the states. the federal government had exclusive authority over american indian lands. states could impose their laws on american indian lands. 2. what was the initial purpose of the commerce clause regarding american indian tribes? to eliminate all commercial relations between the u.s. government and american indian tribes. to establish a legal framework for trade and interaction between the u.s. government and american indian tribes. to prevent american indian tribes from engaging in trade with foreign nations. to grant american indian tribes full independence from u.s. government control. 3. what challenge did the major crimes act present to tribal sovereignty? it reinforced tribal sovereignty by expanding tribal jurisdiction over criminal matters. it challenged tribal sovereignty by limiting the authority of tribal courts over major crimes. it eliminated federal jurisdiction over crimes committed on tribal lands. it allowed tribal courts to have the final say in all criminal cases, even major ones.

Explanation:

1. In Worcester v. Georgia (1832), Chief Justice John Marshall held that the federal government, not the states, had authority over American Indian affairs. This means the federal government had exclusive authority over American Indian lands.
2. The Commerce Clause in the U.S. Constitution (Article I, Section 8) was initially meant to establish a legal framework for trade and interaction. Regarding American Indian tribes, it was about regulating commerce (which includes trade - like interactions) between the U.S. government and the tribes.
3. The Major Crimes Act (1885) listed certain crimes (like murder, manslaughter, etc.) committed by Native Americans on Indian reservations. If these crimes were committed, federal, not tribal, courts would have jurisdiction. So, it challenged tribal sovereignty by limiting the authority of tribal courts over major crimes.

Answer:

1. The federal government had exclusive authority over American Indian lands.
2. To establish a legal framework for trade and interaction between the U.S. government and American Indian tribes.
3. It challenged tribal sovereignty by limiting the authority of tribal courts over major crimes.