Johnson v. M'Intosh: Difference between revisions

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|date=February 23, 1823
|date=February 23, 1823
|subject=Property
|subject=Property
|facts=* Between 1773 & 1775 (when "Native Americans") owned lands without titles, Johnson purchased large tracts of land from a number of tribes in southern Illinois.
|facts=*Between 1773 & 1775 (when "Native Americans") owned lands without titles, "'''Johnson'''" purchased large tracts of land from a number of tribes in southern Illinois.
* In 1819, Johnson died.
*In 1819, Johnson died.
*His son "Johnson" & grandson "Graham" inherited the land.
*In 1818, the US government deeded 12,000 acres to '''M'Intosh''' which also included the land Johnson had bought from Amerindians
*
*
|procedural_history=*Johnson & Graham sought an ejectment order against M'Intosh in the federal district of Illinois court.
*M'Intosh won in the district court.
*Johnson appealed directly to SCOTUS.
*
|issues=Is a land grant by the <u>United States government</u> superior to an Amerindian land grant?
|holding=[[John Marshall]] : Yes. The title granted by the United States government is superior to a previously granted Native American title.
|judgment=Affirmed
|reasons=*The land sold to Johnson by the Native Americans were within the lands claimed by the English crown by the Rule of Discovery which had been granted to the Virginia Colony (in those times "Virginia" encompassed many states of today including Illinois).
*In 1779, Virginia annulled all land grants from Native Americans to individuals.
*The '''Treaty of Paris''' (1783), which formally ended the war of the American Revolution, granted English lands in America--including those in Virginia (Illinois today)--to the American government.
*John Marshall: If a Native American tribe annulled the land grant to Johnson or others, the U.S. courts wouldn't be able to step in to protect the buyer's title.
*<u>Some Native American tribes would later sell to the U.S. government the same lands that they had previously sold to individuals!</u>
|rule='''Rule of Discovery''' in the early 1800s
|case_text_links={{Infobox Case Brief/Case Text Link
|case_text_links={{Infobox Case Brief/Case Text Link
|link=https://www.oyez.org/cases/1789-1850/21us543
|link=https://www.oyez.org/cases/1789-1850/21us543
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}}
|case_videos={{Infobox Case Brief/Case Video
|case_videos={{Infobox Case Brief/Case Video
|service=YouTube
|id=phYP6JRhwRM
}}{{Infobox Case Brief/Case Video
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|id=fjKZPEGzu6o
|id=fjKZPEGzu6o
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Latest revision as of 00:18, March 15, 2024

Johnson v. M'Intosh
Court Supreme Court of the United States
Citation 21 U.S. 543
Date decided February 23, 1823

Facts

  • Between 1773 & 1775 (when "Native Americans") owned lands without titles, "Johnson" purchased large tracts of land from a number of tribes in southern Illinois.
  • In 1819, Johnson died.
  • His son "Johnson" & grandson "Graham" inherited the land.
  • In 1818, the US government deeded 12,000 acres to M'Intosh which also included the land Johnson had bought from Amerindians

Procedural History

  • Johnson & Graham sought an ejectment order against M'Intosh in the federal district of Illinois court.
  • M'Intosh won in the district court.
  • Johnson appealed directly to SCOTUS.

Issues

Is a land grant by the United States government superior to an Amerindian land grant?

Holding

John Marshall : Yes. The title granted by the United States government is superior to a previously granted Native American title.

Judgment

Affirmed

Reasons

  • The land sold to Johnson by the Native Americans were within the lands claimed by the English crown by the Rule of Discovery which had been granted to the Virginia Colony (in those times "Virginia" encompassed many states of today including Illinois).
  • In 1779, Virginia annulled all land grants from Native Americans to individuals.
  • The Treaty of Paris (1783), which formally ended the war of the American Revolution, granted English lands in America--including those in Virginia (Illinois today)--to the American government.
  • John Marshall: If a Native American tribe annulled the land grant to Johnson or others, the U.S. courts wouldn't be able to step in to protect the buyer's title.
  • Some Native American tribes would later sell to the U.S. government the same lands that they had previously sold to individuals!

Rule

Rule of Discovery in the early 1800s

Resources