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Trustees of Dartmouth College v. Woodward, 17 U.S. (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.
5–1 decision for Trustees of Dartmouth Collegemajority opinion by John Marshall. The Contract Clause (Art 1, Section 10, Clause 1) prohibits states from violating contracts with private or public corporations. In a 5-to-1 decision, the Court concluded that the Contract Clause applies to private as well as public corporations.
Considered a landmark ruling in the development of U.S. constitutional and corporate law, Trustees of Dartmouth College v. Woodward (1819) held that the College would remain a private institution and not become a state university. The court’s decision confirmed that the U.S. Constitution’s contract clause prohibits states from impairing a ...
1821. Location: United States. Key People: John Marshall. Dartmouth College case, U.S. Supreme Court case in which the court held that the charter of Dartmouth College granted in 1769 by King George III of England was a contract and, as such, could not be impaired by the New Hampshire legislature.
- The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica
Dartmouth College was established under a charter granted by the provincial government; but a better constitution for a college, or one more adapted to the condition of things under the present government, in all material respects, could not now be framed. Nothing in it was found to need alteration at the revolution.
This is an action of trover, brought by the Trustees of Dartmouth College against William H. 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.
Nov 24, 2021 · On February 2, 1819, fifty years after the issuance of the charter, John Marshall read in open court his famous opinion in the Dartmouth College case, Trustees of Dartmouth College v. Woodward , holding that the New Hampshire legislation violated the Contract Clause of the Constitution.
