Which two significant cases were decided in the Old Supreme Courtroom?

The Old Supreme Courtroom, located in the Capitol building, is historically significant for hosting important Supreme Court cases that shaped American law and constitutional interpretation. The selected answer highlights two landmark cases: McCulloch v. Maryland and Dred Scott v. Sanford, both of which had profound implications for federalism and civil rights.

McCulloch v. Maryland, decided in 1819, affirmed the supremacy of federal law over state law and established the principle of implied powers, which allows Congress to enact laws not explicitly mentioned in the Constitution, provided they are in pursuit of its enumerated powers. This case laid the groundwork for a stronger federal government.

Dred Scott v. Sanford, decided in 1857, is notorious for ruling that African Americans could not be considered citizens and, therefore, had no standing to sue in federal court. This decision contributed to the growing divisions over slavery and intensified the sectional conflict leading to the Civil War, making it a pivotal instance in American history concerning civil rights.

The other responses, while they also contain important Supreme Court cases, do not refer to those decided in the Old Supreme Courtroom. Brown v. Board of Education and Plessy v. Ferguson, for example, are significant in the context of