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' 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"" 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.

 

This book is aimed at children in secondary school.

There are 142 pages in this book. This book was published 2006 by Chelsea House Publishers .

Tim McNeese is associate professor of history at York College in York, Nebraska. Shane Mountjoy resides in York, Nebraska, where he is an associate professor of history and dean of students at York College. He has earned degrees from York College, Lubbock Christian University, the University of Nebraska, and the University of Missouri. He is the author of several books, including Technology and the Civil War, also in The Civil War: A Nation Divided set.