The Great Decision: Jefferson, Adams, Marshall, and the Battle for the Supreme Court

281 Pages·2009·1.16 MB·English

by  Cliff Sloan

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DECISION
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D E C I S I O N
JEFFERSON, ADAMS, MARSHALL, AND
THE BATTLE FO(cid:2)R THE SUPREME COURT
CLIFF SLOAN
AND
DAVID M KEAN
C
PublicAffairs
New York
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Copyright © 2009by Cliff Sloan and David McKean.
Published in the United States by PublicAffairs™,a member of the Perseus Books
Group.
All rights reserved.
Printed in the United States of America.
No part of this book may be reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written
permission except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and re-
views.For information,address PublicAffairs,250West 57th Street,Suite 1321,New
York,NY 10107.PublicAffairs books are available at special discounts for bulk pur-
chases in the U.S.by corporations,institutions,and other organizations.For more in-
formation, please contact the Special Markets Department at the Perseus Books
Group,2300Chestnut Street,Suite 200,Philadelphia,PA 19103,call (800) 810–4145
x5000,or email [email protected].
Book Design by Jeff Williams
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Sloan,Cliff.
The great decision :Jefferson,Adams,Marshall,and the battle for the Supreme
Court / Cliff Sloan and David McKean.
p.cm.
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 978-1-58648-426-2(hardcover)
1. Judicial review—United States—History. 2. United States. Supreme Court—
History. 3. Marbury, William, 1761 or 2–1835—Trials, litigation, etc. 4. Madison,
James,1751–1836—Trials,litigation,etc.I.McKean,David.II.Title.
KF4575.S562009
347.73'12—dc22
2008046107
First Edition
10987654321
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For Mary Lou, Sarah, Annie, and Nick
and
For Kathleen, Shaw, Christian, and Kaye
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CONTENTS
Prologue ix
Introduction xiii
CHAPTER 1 “This Gigantic Abortion” 1
CHAPTER 2 John Adams Defeated 9
CHAPTER 3 The Rise of the Cousins:
A New Chief Justice and a New President 31
CHAPTER 4 The Midnight Judges 53
CHAPTER 5 President Jefferson 65
CHAPTER 6 The Battle Lines Are Drawn 75
CHAPTER 7 Marbury Files Suit 85
CHAPTER 8 The Firestorm 103
CHAPTER 9 Trial in the Supreme Court 121
CHAPTER 10 Deliberation 143
CHAPTER 11 Decision 151
CHAPTER 12 The Meaning of Marbury 173
Epilogue 183
Appendix 1:Marbury v.Madison 191
Appendix 2:Stuart v.Laird 221
Notes 223
Selected Bibliography 239
Acknowledgments 245
Index 247
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PROLOGUE
On Constitution Avenue in the nation’s capital, midway be-
tween the White House and the Capitol, sits the National
Archives, a gleaming, white, marble, temple-like structure with
massive Doric columns on all four sides.The Archives features a
“Charters of Freedom” hall, a cavernous rotunda on the building’s
second floor where on any given day a long line of visitors from
around the world waits patiently behind hooked rope barriers to
view the sacraments of our national identity.
Before entering the rotunda, the expectant visitors file past a
thirteenth-century copy of the Magna Carta, the British decree
from 1215announcing the protection of certain “liberties,”“rights,”
and concessions. Upon entering the dimly lit great hall, they see
two large paintings depicting the signing of the Declaration of
Independence.As the line proceeds,they view America’s national
treasures arranged in a semicircle and carefully preserved in indi-
vidual, climate-controlled cases.The very first document on dis-
play is an original copy of the Declaration of Independence,with
its unyielding commitment to “life, liberty, and the pursuit of
happiness.”
Then,it’s on to an original copy of the Constitution,with its au-
dacious statement that “We the People” create the union, and its
historic division of the government into three branches of sepa-
rated powers and checks and balances.
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