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The Legal Tender Cases were a series of decisions in the U.S. Supreme Court in the early 1870s concerning the power of the federal government to order that everyone accept government money ([[bills of credit]]) as payment for all obligations, public and private.

The '''Legal Tender Cases''' were a series of decisions in the U.S. Supreme Court in the early 1870s concerning the power of the federal government to order that everyone accept government money ([[bills of credit]]) as payment for all obligations, public and private.

The cases arose from the issuance of "[[greenbacks]]" during the Civil War and the [[Legal Tender Act]] of 1862, which declared that this government money must be accepted for all debts, public and private.  In ''Hepburn v. Griswold'' (1870), the U.S. Supreme Court invalided the law as applied to pre-existing debts as a violation of the [[Obligation of Contract Clause]].

The cases arose from the issuance of "[[greenbacks]]" during the Civil War and the [[Legal Tender Act]] of 1862, which declared that this government money must be accepted for all debts, public and private.  In ''Hepburn v. Griswold'' (1870), the U.S. Supreme Court invalided the law as applied to pre-existing debts as a violation of the [[Obligation of Contract Clause]].