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John Marshall: The Longest Serving Chief Justice of the United States
John Marshall is one of the most revered and respected chief justices in the history of the United States Supreme Court. Serving for a remarkable 34 years, he oversaw a period of significant change in the nation and his decisions laid the foundation for the modern interpretation of the country’s laws and constitution. He is widely recognized as having entrenched the power of the Supreme Court in American politics and law, and his influence continues to be felt to this day. In this article, we will examine the life and career of John Marshall as well as his lasting legacy.
Early Life
John Marshall was born on September 24, 1755, in Fauquier County, Virginia, to Thomas Marshall, a politician and planter, and Mary Isham Keith. He was the eldest of 15 children, and after attending local schools, he moved to Bath County, Virginia, to live with his parents.
Marshall served in the Continental Army during the American Revolution, attaining the rank of captain. After the war, he read law under George Wythe, a respected Virginia lawyer and judge, and was admitted to the Virginia bar in 1780. He subsequently became known for his legal acumen and was appointed a delegate to the Virginia ratifying convention in 1788, where he played a key role in securing the state’s approval of the new federal constitution.
Career
Marshall served as a representative in the Virginia House of Delegates from 1782 to 1795 before being elected to the US House of Representatives in 1799. He resigned the following year to become Secretary of State under President John Adams, where he helped to negotiate the Convention of 1800 with France, which ended the Quasi-War between the two nations.
In 1801, President Adams nominated Marshall as the fourth Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, succeeding Oliver Ellsworth. At 45 years old, he was relatively young for such a high position, but he quickly proved his worth with his knowledge of law and his keen intellect. Over the next three decades, he would oversee some of the most significant legal cases in American history.
Marshallian Jurisprudence
One of Marshall’s greatest legacies was his development of what became known as Marshallian jurisprudence. This was a legal philosophy that emphasized the supremacy of federal law and the power of the Supreme Court to strike down state laws that were deemed unconstitutional. In doing so, Marshall helped to create a system of checks and balances that has shaped American politics and law to this day.
Marshall’s landmark decisions included Marbury v. Madison (1803), which established the principle of judicial review; McCulloch v. Maryland (1819), which held that the federal government had the power to create a national bank; and Gibbons v. Ogden (1824), which upheld the federal government’s authority to regulate interstate commerce.
Marbury v. Madison was a turning point for the Supreme Court, as it gave the court the power to declare an act of Congress unconstitutional. This decision established the principle of judicial review, which remains one of the most important parts of American constitutional law.
McCulloch v. Maryland, on the other hand, established that the federal government had the power to create a national bank. This decision was critical because it helped to solidify the power of the federal government at a time when many were arguing that the states should have more power.
Gibbons v. Ogden was also a significant case as it upheld the federal government’s authority to regulate interstate commerce. This decision helped to establish the concept of federalism and laid the groundwork for the federal government’s regulatory powers over the national economy.
Marshall’s judicial philosophy was grounded in the idea that the federal government was the ultimate authority in the country, and that the Supreme Court was the final arbiter of constitutional disputes. This belief in the power of the federal government had a significant impact on the shaping of American politics and law.
John Marshall was the fourth Chief Justice of the United States Supreme Court, reigning from 1801-1835. Although John Marshall is not the second to assume the role of Chief Justice after John Jay, he is the first to assume the longest run in office. His role as Chief Justice helped strengthen the powers of the Supreme Court Judicial system and had a major influence on the development of the American legal system.
The establishment of John Marshall’s rule for courts to apply judicial review is one of the most notable influences of the judicial system. This enforcement gave judicial systems the right to strike down laws that violate the Constitution. Under the rule of John Marshall, the Supreme Court made several important decisions that balanced the powers between the Federal and State governments. John Marshall is mostly known for his role in a series
of landmark Supreme Court cases.
He was reviewed as the lead Federalist of his time, implementing rules to protect the rights of individuals and corporations, upholding the values of the Constitution. One of Marshall’s first landmark Supreme Court Cases was Marbury v. Madison, where Marshall enforced the judicial reviews once created by John Jay. Some opposed his ruling of this case, but Marshall was determined to make the implementation of judicial review clear. It was ruled that no power of Government, not even the President, or court system as well as any voting party, had the right to implement their own views of the Constitution.
This ruling ensured that the documents written in the Constitution overruled with a clear and firm standing, giving room for nothing else to be considered. The case of McCulloch v. Maryland is another landmark case with which Marshall is associated. Under this case John Marshall ruled that states did not have the right to pass laws that violated
the Constitution. He was a firm believer that the laws that made up the Constitution preceded every other law that would come to pass. His point of view expressed that all laws made should be a reflection of what was set as the basis of American governance which all stems from the Constitution.
John Marshall’s ruling of Federal laws preceding State laws was also part of the landmark Supreme Court cases implemented in 1821. This ruling pointed out that although State and Federal laws were separate, no State law has the right to overrule anything that has
already been implemented as Federal law. The last of the landmark Supreme Court cases under Marshall regulated interstate commerce as Federal law.
Although some of the decisions made by John Marshall was not popular among other Government officials, these the ruling helped carve out the basic functions of the Federal Government today. It also gave State laws a foundation upon which all laws should be based. John Marshall’s rulings of landmark Supreme Court cases help strengthen the core of the Federal Government. The practices and rulings under John Marshall were practical and helped streamline the branches of the Federal Government. John Marshall held his place as Chief Justice of the Supreme Court until he passed away in 1835.
