The Supreme Court is established by Article III, Section 1 of the Constitution of the United States, which says: "The judicial Power of the United States, shall be vested in one supreme Court .

The size of the Court is not specified; the Constitution leaves it to Congress to set the number of justices.

were decided, the Court comprised these seven justices: Johnson's Lessee v. McIntosh, 21 U.S. (8 Wheat.)

543 (1823), is a landmark decision of the U.S. Supreme Court which held private citizens could not purchase lands from Native Americans.

The litigation began when the successor in interest to a private purchase from the Piankeshaw attempted to maintain an action of ejectment against the holder of a federal land patent.