Existing comment:
1874-1910: The Waite and Fuller Courts
Chief Justice Morrison R. Waite, 1874-1888, appointed by Grant
Chief Justice Melville W. Fuller, 1888-1910, appointed by Cleveland
100 Years in the Making:
You're invited to a Centennial Celebration! Join us on February 4, 1890 to celebrate 100 years of Supreme Court decision-making. Events will be held throughout New York City, the Courts first meeting place. Festivities will culminate in a grand banquet for 2,000 guests at the Lenox Lyceum.
Branding Justice:
The Justices of the late 19th century were well-known public figures frequently featured in news and social columns. Advertisers used their recognizable images, often without the Justices' knowledge. These ads suggested to consumers that the Court had "judged" their product to be superior to others.
Separate but Equal:
Now considered among the most controversial decisions in its history, the Court sanctioned the "separate but equal" doctrine in Plessy v. Ferguson (1896), declaring that separate facilities for races were legal as long as they were equal. This ruling legitimized the segregated society created through Jim Crow laws. It was not until Brown v. Board of Education in 1954 that the separate but equal doctrine was overturned.
Working From Home:
With limited space in the US Capitol, the Justices worked from their homes, and messengers delivered correspondence between houses. It wa snot until the Supreme Court Building was constructed in 1935 that offices were provided for all the Justices.
Among Friends:
Justices often serve many years together. Despite difficult cases and disagreements, they strive to remain cordial. The tradition of the judicial handshake is attributed to Chief Justice Fuller. Before meeting in Court or Conference, all of the Justices shake hands as a sign of camaraderie.
Balancing Business:
The fast-growing economy of the late 19th century led to a large number of cases before the Court involving business and labor relations. The Justices were asked to interpret the Sherman Anti-Trust Act, prohibiting monopolies in business, and several labor laws relating to wages and working hours.
We Need Help!
With a growing docket and increasingly complicated cases, the Justices needed help to review cases and write opinions. In 1882, Justice Horace Gray became the first Justice to hire law clerks. Today the Justices can hire up to four law clerks each Term.
1874: First Impressionist art exhibition in Paris
1876: Hayes-Tilden election crisis
1876: Bell patents telephone
1879: Edison invents the light bulb
1879: First woman admitted to the Supreme Court Bar: Belva Lockwood
1890: Supreme Court's Centennial
1893: The Ferris Wheel debuts at the World's Columbian Exposition
1895: Income Tax case
1896: Plessy v. Ferguson
1898: Spanish-American War
1903: Wright Brothers first flight
1905: Lochner v. New York
1908: First Model T car produced
1908: Miller v. Oregon
1909: NAACP founded |