Dartmouth College V Woodward Chief Justice

Dartmouth was founded in 1769 via a royal charter from king george iii.
Dartmouth college v woodward chief justice. This is an action of trover brought by the trustees of dartmouth college against william h. Chief justice of the united states. Chief justice john marshall s majority opinion in favor of the college closely tracked the arguments in webster s brief. Woodward in the state court of new hampshire for the book of records corporate seal and other corporate property to which the plaintiffs allege themselves to be entitled.
4 wheat 518 1819 was a landmark decision in united states corporate law from the united states supreme court dealing with the application of the contracts clause of the united states constitution to private corporations. 481 1819 the supreme court ruled that the state of new hampshire had violated the contract clause in its attempt to install a new board of trustees for dartmouth college. Woodward was at its core an issue of state power and contracts. Ogden 1824 affirmed the federal government s right to regulate interstate commerce and to override state law in doing so.
Woodward is said to have brought tears to the eyes of chief justice john marshall. Remember that a charter is a type of contract outlining the rights and responsibilities of the institution being created. Woodward also commonly known as the dartmouth college case was attracted much attention and exerted a greater influence over the legislative and judicial history of the united states at the 19th century. Trustees of dartmouth college v.
Daniel webster s famous speech before the supreme court in dartmouth college v. The 1819 supreme court case of dartmouth college v. History came to life on friday during the re argument of dartmouth college v. Webster opined that the contract clause of the constitution protected private corporate charters.
Peck 1810 and the dartmouth college case 1819 established the inviolability of a state s contracts and gibbons v. In dartmouth college v. Marshall s majority opinion in favor of the college was not based on sentiment but rather on his strong views concerning the contract clause in the constitution. The legislature changed the school s corporate charter by transferring the control of trustee appointments to the governor.
In 1816 the new hampshire legislature attempted to change dartmouth college a privately funded institution into a state university. Chief justice marshall delivered the opinion of the court. Woodward the landmark 1819 supreme court case that preserved dartmouth s status as a private college and strengthened constitutional protections against state interference in contracts.