What was the primary purpose of the Judiciary Act of 1891?

The primary purpose of the Judiciary Act of 1891 was to establish the U.S. Court of Appeals, also known as the Circuit Courts of Appeals. This act was a significant development in the American judicial system as it aimed to alleviate the caseload of the Supreme Court by creating an intermediate appellate court system. Prior to this act, most appeals were made directly to the Supreme Court, leading to an overwhelming number of cases that the Court had to manage. By instituting the Court of Appeals, the Judiciary Act enabled the Supreme Court to focus on the most critical legal issues and important constitutional questions, thereby improving the efficiency of the judiciary.

In consideration of the other options, creating district courts for each state was not the act's focus, as district courts had already been established prior to 1891. The act also did not pertain to the number of Supreme Court justices or define the scope of federal jurisdiction; these were matters addressed in different legislative contexts.