John Marshall (1755 - 1835) was an American statesman and jurist who served as the fourth Chief Justice of the United States from 1801 to 1835. [1] The longest-serving chief justice in the nation's history, he transformed the Supreme Court from a weak institution into a coequal branch of the federal government. [2] His opinion in Marbury v. Madison (1803) established the principle of judicial review, giving the Court authority to invalidate laws that violate the Constitution. [1]
Early life and education
John Marshall was born on 24 September 1755 in Germantown, in what was then the frontier of the Colony of Virginia, the eldest of fifteen children. [1] Largely self-taught in his youth, he received little formal schooling before the American Revolution. He briefly attended lectures at the College of William & Mary, where his legal studies were informed by the teaching of George Wythe, and he was admitted to the Virginia bar in 1780. [2]
Revolution and public service
Marshall served as an officer in the Continental Army during the Revolutionary War, enduring the harsh winter encampment at Valley Forge and taking part in several engagements. [1] After the war he built a successful law practice in Richmond and entered Virginia politics, becoming a leading advocate for ratification of the United States Constitution at the state convention of 1788. [2] A committed Federalist, he was sent to France in 1797 as one of the envoys in the diplomatic dispute known as the XYZ Affair, served briefly in Congress, and was appointed Secretary of State by President John Adams in 1800. [1]
Chief Justice
In January 1801 Adams nominated Marshall as Chief Justice, and he took his seat the following month, a post he would hold for more than thirty-four years. [1] Under his leadership the Court began issuing single majority opinions rather than seriatim rulings, lending its decisions greater authority and coherence. [2] In Marbury v. Madison (1803) he articulated the doctrine of judicial review, and in later landmark cases such as McCulloch v. Maryland (1819) and Gibbons v. Ogden (1824) he affirmed the supremacy of federal law and a broad reading of congressional power over commerce and finance. [3]
Legacy
Marshall died on 6 July 1835 in Philadelphia. [1] Elected a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, he is widely regarded as the most influential chief justice in American history. His interpretations of the Constitution shaped the balance of power between the states and the federal government and secured the enduring independence of the judiciary. [2]
