John Marshall

Paper Summary:

This paper examines former Chief Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court, John Marshall. The paper discusses Marshall's many career accomplishments, including army officer, lawyer, delegate, foreign minister, congressman and Secretary of State. The paper also details Marshall's appointment to the Supreme Court bench by President John Adams and his many watershed rulings, such as "Marbury vs. Madison", "McCulloch vs. Maryland" and "Dartmouth College vs. Woodward". The paper then investigates Marshall's contributions to federalism and the opposition he encountered from U.S. Presidents Thomas Jefferson and Andrew Jackson. The paper concludes that Marshall was truly one of the nation's founding fathers, with wide-reaching, long-lasting influence on American political life.

From the Paper:

"Born the son of Thomas Marshall, a successful planter in the newly formed frontier county of Fauquier, John Marshall received a limited education. His formal education consisted of a year spent at the school of Reverend Archibold Campbell and as a student under a Scottish tutor. He read the works of Horace and Livy, as well as the traditional classics. During the outbreak of the war for independence, Marshall served many different posts. In this time period of his life, he gained the gentlemanly qualities necessary for a career politician. Near the end of the war, Marshall continued his education at William and Mary where he studied law briefly. He was granted a law license in 1780. From this point on, Marshall embarked on a storied political career. His ambition and loyalty eventually carried him to the top of the judicial branch of government."

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