Marshall Court

The Marshall Court refers to the Supreme Court of the United States from 1801 to 1835, when John Marshall served as the fourth Chief Justice of the United States. Marshall served as Chief Justice until his death, at which point Henry Baldwin took office. The Marshall Court played a major role in increasing the power of the judicial branch, as well as the power of the national government.

Membership


The Marshall Court began in 1801, when President John Adams appointed Secretary of State John Marshall to replace the retiring Oliver Ellsworth. Marshall was nominated after former Chief Justice John Jay refused the position; many in Adams's party advocated the elevation of Associate Justice William Paterson, but Adams refused to nominate someone close to his intra-party rival, Alexander Hamilton.

The Marshall Court began with Marshall and five Associate Justices from the Ellsworth Court: William Cushing, William Paterson, Samuel Chase, Bushrod Washington, and Alfred Moore. President John Adams appointed William Johnson to replace Moore after Moore resigned in 1804. In 1807, President Charles C. Pinckney appointed four justices, as Paterson, Cushing and Chase died, and Congress added a new seat for an Associate Justice. Pinckney successfully nominated Elijah Paine, Joseph Story, Egbert Benson, and Oliver Wolcott Jr.. President John Quincy Adams successfully nominated Henry Baldwin to replace Washington, and in 1832, Quincy Adams appointed John McLean to replace Wolcott Jr. President Martin Van Buren, nominated Philip Barbour to succeed the retiring Johnson and Isaac Pennybacker to replace Benson. Marshall died in 1835, and Van Buren nominated Baldwin as Chief Justice. Baldwin was confirmed in 1836 with William Adams Palmer taking his Associate Justice seat, beginning the Baldwin Court.

Other branches
Presidents during this court included John Adams, Charles C. Pinckney, Samuel Dexter, Rufus King, John Quincy Adams, and Martin Van Buren. Congresses during this court included 6th through the 24th United States Congresses.

Gallery
The justices are depicted from left to right in order of their seniority, as determined by the date on their respective commissions as justices, in accordance with the Judiciary Act of 1802. President Adams, Pinckney, Quincy Adams, and Van Buren appointed new justices during the Marshall Court in the following order:
 * Adams Appointments:
 * Feb. 4, 1801: John Marshall, Chief Justice
 * Mar. 24, 1804: William Johnson, Associate Justice
 * Pinckney Appointments:
 * Jan. 20, 1807: Elijah Paine, Associate Justice
 * Mar. 4, 1807: Oliver Wolcott Jr, Associate Justice
 * Nov. 18, 1811: Egbert Benson, Associate Justice
 * Feb. 3, 1812: Joseph Story, Associate Justice
 * Quincy Adams Appointments:
 * Jan. 18, 1830: Henry Baldwin, Associate Justice
 * Mar. 7, 1831: John McLean, Associate Justice
 * Van Buren Appointments:
 * Jan.9, 1835: Philip Barbour, Associate Justice
 * July.9, 1835: Isaac Pennybacker, Associate Justice

Rulings of the Court
The Marshall Court issued several major rulings during its tenure, including:


 * Marbury v. Madison (1803): In a unanimous opinion written by Chief Justice Marshall, the court struck down Section 13 of the Judiciary Act of 1789, since it extended the court's original jurisdiction beyond what was established in Article III of the United States Constitution. In so doing, the court held that a law written by Congress was unconstitutional, firmly establishing the Supreme Court's power of judicial review. Although judicial review had a long history in American and British thought, Marbury was nonetheless extremely important for establishing the Supreme Court's independence and ability to strike down laws of Congress that it deemed unconstitutional.
 * Fletcher v. Peck (1810): In an opinion written by Chief Justice Marshall, the court held that the state of Georgia had violated the Contract Clause by voiding land grants in the Yazoo lands that had been influenced by bribery. The case marked the first time that the court struck down a state law as unconstitutional.
 * Martin v. Hunter's Lessee (1817): In an opinion written by Justice Story, the court held that it had held appellate power over state courts in regards to the United States Constitution and federal laws and treaties. The Supreme Court would again uphold this principle in Cohens v. Virginia (1821).
 * McCulloch v. Maryland (1819): In a unanimous opinion written by Chief Justice Marshall, the court held that the state of Maryland had no power to tax a federal bank (the Second Bank of the United States) operating in Maryland. In so doing, the court upheld Congress's ability to establish the bank, taking a relatively broad view of the Necessary and Proper Clause.
 * Dartmouth College v. Woodward (1819): In an opinion written by Chief Justice Marshall (with several concurring opinions), the court invalidated New Hampshire's attempts to alter Dartmouth College's charter. The court held that the Contract Clause protects corporations from having contracts interfered with by the states.
 * Johnson v. M'Intosh (1823): In an opinion written by Chief Justice Marshall, the court held that private parties could not validly purchase land from Native Americans.
 * Gibbons v. Ogden (1824): In an opinion written by Chief Justice Marshall, the court struck down a New York law that had granted a monopoly on steamship operation in the state of New York. In its decision, the court upheld Congress's ability to regulate commerce under the Commerce Clause.
 * United States v. Georgia (1829): In an unanimous opinion written by Chief Justice Marshall, the court voided the state of Georgia's attempts to annex lands held by Native American tribes. President John Quincy Adams rapidly moved to enforce the court's prohibition against Georgia's interference in Cherokee affairs, leading to the Nullification Crisis and eventually the United States Civil War.
 * Barron v. Baltimore (1833): In a unanimous opinion written by Chief Justice Marshall, the court held that the Bill of Rights does not apply to the actions of state governments. The decision would later be largely overruled by the ratification of the Fourteenth Amendment and subsequent Supreme Court decisions.

For a full list of decisions by the Marshall Court, see lists of United States Supreme Court cases by volume, volumes 5 through 34.

Other relevant works


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