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==The Early Court==
[[File:Jay.jpg|thumb|Figure 1.John Jay was the first Chief Justice and heard the first case presented before the Court.]]
The Supreme Court opened its first session in February 1790 in New York City, the then capital of the United States. Later in 1790, it moved to Philadelphia, which also became the capital, where the court met in Independence Hall. Initially, the court was made up of six justices, where it was envisioned that a two-thirds majority would be needed for any decision. The court did not have a permanent nine members until 1869, when that number was established as precedent. The justices were given lifetime appointments because it was seen as a way to avoid them being influenced by a sitting president. The first case to be litigated before the court, <i>West v. Barnes</i>, involved procedural issues, in particular, the procedures of appeal. There were few major cases in the 1790s and the court lacked a permanent home. The first major case was <i>Chisholm v. Georgia</i>, which saw Chisholm sue the state of Georgia. The case influenced the 11th Amendment to the Constitution, which allowed individuals to sue states based on state consent (Figure 1).<ref>For more on the forming of the first Supreme Court, see: Casto, W. R. (2013). <i>The Supreme Court in the early republic: the chief justiceships of John Jay and Oliver Ellsworth</i>. Columbia: University of South Carolina Press.</ref>
The most influential figure in the early Supreme Court opened its first session in February 1790 in New York City, was justice John Marshal (1801-1835. This was the period when the then capital concept of judicial review became an established precedent that has influenced subsequent acts by the United StatesCourt to review legislation as they come up. Later in 1790Arguably, it moved the Supreme Court developed more into something more similar to Philadelphia, which also became its modern form during the capital, where the court met in Independence HallMarshal years. InitiallyFor instance, the court was made up concept of a review of six justicesConstitutional issues became fully established by this time and many practices, where it was envisioned that including issuing a two-thirds single majority would be needed for any decisionopinion by the Court, became established during this time. The first One influential case to be litigated before was the court, West vimpeachment of Justice Samuel Chase. Barnes, He was accused of partisan bias and the case that involved procedural issues, in particular, his impeachment influenced and shaped the idea that the procedures Supreme Court must be kept an independent part of appealthe government. There were few major cases in In effect, the 1790s Court attempted to make a more complete break from partisan politics and established a precedent to be an independent reviewer of legislation and judgment of following the laws of the court lacked a permanent homeUnited States. The first major case was Chisholm v<ref>For more on the Marshal Court, see: Brookhiser, R. Georgia, which saw Chisholm sue the state of Georgia(2018). The case influenced <i>John Marshall: the 11th Amendment to man who made the Constitution, which allowed individuals to sue states based on state consentSupreme Court</i>. New York: Basic Books. </ref>
==The Late 19th Century and Early 20th Century==During the earliest years of the 20th century, the boundaries of free speech and the 1st Amendment were not clear and states did ban certain publications. The case of <i>Gitlow v. New York</i> in 1925 established more clear guidelines as to what constituted free speech and protection under the 1st Amendment. This case greatly restricted the powers of states to suppress publications or speech by individuals. The <i>Adkins v. Children's Hospital</i> case in 1923 first established precedent on due process in the 5th Amendment, further protecting individuals' rights from states or organizations that infringed on those rights such as in work requirements and payment. In the 1930s to 1953 saw a substantial number of court decisions that sided with the federal government and that enhanced government powers, in part as a reaction to major crises. This included granting greater power for Roosevelt to apply the New Deal legislation he had worked to pass in the 1930s. Perhaps the most controversial was the Court's decision that upheld the government's power to intern Japanese-American citizens during World War II, arguably also a complete reversal of earlier decisions that had enhanced civil rights. The two major crises, the Great Depression and World War II, may have influenced court action to face these crises more than political leaning for parties by giving the federal government greater powers. <ref>For more on the early 20th century and shaping of the court and its decisions, see: Walker, S. (2012). <i>Presidents and civil liberties from Wilson to Obama: a story of poor custodians</i>. Cambridge ; New York: Cambridge University Press.</ref>
==The Cold War Court==
==Summary==
The Supreme Court has had a major influence on the United States, often upholding or often reversing legislation passed by Congress. At times, the Court shaped events, including war and individual rights, and at other times they helped catalyzed social change, perhaps faster than it would have been otherwise, by enabling rights such as in <i>Brown v. Board of Education</i>. The Constitution left many ideas about the Court open and these have been continually interpreted and applied differently during the history of the United States.
==References==
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