National Constitution Center - Centuries of Citizenship - The Supreme Court says corporations are “persons”

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1886-1906: We encounter prosperity and its perils in an industrial age

May 10, 1886
The Supreme Court says corporations are “persons”

The 14th Amendment

National Archives and Records Administration

Is a railroad a person? Today, the Supreme Court said “yes.” In a case involving the Southern Pacific Railroad, the Court found that railroads and other corporations “are persons within the intent of the…14th Amendment.”

This means corporations have the same constitutional rights people do. And they can go to court to claim those rights.

The Court has given businesses new power to protect themselves. Will this help us prosper? Or will it thwart lawmaker’s efforts to regulate corporations?

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