The Slaughterhouse Cases Case Brief: Landmark Supreme Court Decision on Economic Rights and the Fourteenth Amendment

Case Brief: The Slaughterhouse Cases

Citation

The Slaughterhouse Cases, 83 U.S. 36 (1873)

Court

Supreme Court of the United States

Facts

The Slaughterhouse Cases involved a challenge to a Louisiana law that granted a monopoly to a single slaughterhouse operation in New Orleans, effectively shutting down many smaller, independent slaughterhouses. The owners of these independent slaughterhouses filed a lawsuit, arguing that the law violated the Fourteenth Amendment, specifically the privileges or immunities clause, as it deprived them of their property and the right to earn a livelihood.

Issue

Did the Louisiana law, which granted a monopoly to a single slaughterhouse, violate the privileges or immunities clause of the Fourteenth Amendment?

Rule

The Supreme Court held that the privileges or immunities clause of the Fourteenth Amendment did not protect the economic rights of individuals against state laws that regulated businesses.

Application

The Court's decision was based on the interpretation of the Fourteenth Amendment and the historical context of its adoption. The justices concluded that the privileges or immunities clause was intended to protect the rights of newly freed slaves and ensure their equality under the law, rather than providing broad protections for economic rights or the right to pursue a business.

Justice Samuel Miller, writing for the majority, stated that the clause protected rights that were inherent in national citizenship, such as the right to travel, the right to vote, and access to federal courts, but did not extend to the right to conduct a business or earn a livelihood. The Court found that the state's decision to grant a monopoly was a valid exercise of its police powers to regulate public health and safety.

Conclusion

The Supreme Court ruled in favor of the state of Louisiana, upholding the law that created the monopoly and limiting the scope of the privileges or immunities clause of the Fourteenth Amendment. This decision significantly weakened the protections for economic rights and set a precedent for future interpretations of the Fourteenth Amendment.