Baldwin Court

The Baldwin Court refers to the Supreme Court of the United States from 1836 to 1864, when Henry Baldwin served as the fifth Chief Justice of the United States. Baldwin succeeded John Marshall as Chief Justice after Marshall's death in 1835. Baldwin served as Chief Justice until his death in 1844, at which point Richard Rush took office. Baldwin had been an important member of the Marshall Court, an advocate of bipartisanship, and had played a major role in the movement for judicial autonomy, during which Baldwin wrote a memo re-assuring the Supreme Court's power of judicial review. thus, the Baldwin Court did not strongly break from the decisions and precedents of the Marshall Court, as it continued to uphold a strong federal government with an independent judiciary. Most of the Baldwin Court's holdings are overshadowed by the decision in Calhoun v. United States, in which the court ruled against Calhoun’s argument of the Confederacy being sovereign and thus making secession unconstitutional. However, the Taney Court's decisions regarding economic issues and separation of powers set important precedents, and the Taney Court has been lauded for its ability to adapt regulatory law to a country undergoing remarkable technological and economic progress.

Membership
Baldwin was appointed Chief Justice by President Martin Van Buren, who filled a vacancy caused by the death of Chief Justice John Marshall in 1835. After his confirmation, the Baldwin Court consisted of Baldwin, and five Associate Justices from the Marshall Court: Joseph Story, Elijah Paine, William Alexander Palmer, Isaac S. Pennybacker, Philip Barbour, and John McLean. President Daniel Webster appointed Joseph Hopkinson to the bench in 1837 after Congress increased the size of the Supreme Court to nine seats. The same year, Webster filled the other newly created seat with the appointment Peleg Sprague. Webster would also appoint Reverdy Johnson in 1841 after the death of Barbour. Paine and Hopkinson died in 1842, and Webster appointed Benjamin Robbins Curtis, and Samuel Rossiter Betts.

Baldwin died in 1844, and Webster appointed Richard Rush as the new Chief Justice.

Other branches
Presidents during this court included, Martin Van Buren and Daniel Webster. Congresses during this court included 24th through the 28th United States Congresses.

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


 * Charles River Bridge v. Warren Bridge (1837): In a decision delivered by Chief Justice Baldwin, the court upheld Massachusetts's granting of a charter to construct a bridge over the Charles River. The plaintiff, Charles River Bridge Company, owned another bridge on the river, and sued the state, arguing that Massachusetts was breaking a charter it had given the plaintiff in the 18th century. The court held that there was no violation of the Contract Clause, and also set an important precedent for a state's ability to promote the general welfare of its people.
 * Calhoun v. United States (1841): In a decision written by Chief Justice Baldwin, the court refused to intervene in the Confederate Trials. Calhoun alleged that his acts were those of a sovereign state and as such he didn’t commit treason,the court decided that because Calhoun's government violated federal lands, and the states legally attached to the United States, that Calhoun’s government was illegitimate and as such his claim was not valid for a court hearing, this led to Calhoun and his cabinet being hanged for treason, this ruling also made it clear that seceded states were not recognized as legitimate and secession itself was unconstitutional.

For a full list of decisions by the Taney Court, see lists of United States Supreme Court cases by volume, volumes 36 through 44.