Summary
Today the Supreme Court’s authority to determine the constitutionality of executive actions and legislative acts is unquestioned. But two centuries ago, after our country was founded, the Court’s power of judicial review was untested. In 1803, the landmark case of Marbury v. Madison established the Supreme Court as guardian of the Constitution. Professor Shane Mountjoy ably introduces the unlikely group involved: John Adams, the outgoing president, who filled the courts with members of his own party; Thomas Jefferson, the new president, who distrusted the courts; James Madison, loyal secretary of state, who refused to deliver a commission; William Marbury, the disappointed office-seeker; and John Marshall, the nationalistic chief justice who had been Adams’s secretary of state. Together, they played a role in what is perhaps the most important case to come before the Court. Combining facts with human-interest stories of those involved, Marbury v. Madison: Establishing Supreme Court Power chronicles the proceedings of this groundbreaking case. Relevant, full-color photographs, a detailed chronology and timeline, and other features add interest and enable readers to grasp the impact of this historic decision.