Verified Document

Marbury V. Madison President John Adams Appointed Essay

Marbury v. Madison President John Adams appointed William Marbury to be a justice of the peace. Normally that would have been perfectly acceptable, except for the act that Adams made the appointment two days before he left office (Faragher, et al., 2009). Thomas Jefferson, who took over the office of the Presidency from Adams, did not want Marbury to be a justice of the peace, so he denied the position by telling his Secretary of State, James Madison, to withhold the commission that would have to be delivered in order to make Marbury's appointment official (Faragher, et al., 2009). When Madison withheld the commission, Marbury filed a lawsuit requesting that the Supreme Court issue a writ of mandamus and force Madison to give Marbury the commission (and, therefore, the position) he believed he was owed (Faragher, et al., 2009). The goal of the lawsuit was to get the position he wanted and to which he believed he was entitled, but in reality much more than that was accomplished.

The Court ruled that Marbury was entitled to the position he had been...

The president) what to do (Faragher, et al., 2009). In short, the Court said Marbury should have the position but could not do anything about getting that position for him. The principle was established that the federal judiciary was the only group that could determine what a law actually was, which pleased both parties (Faragher, et al., 2009). It appeared as though Jefferson and Madison had won, but overall the decision was acceptable to both the Federalists and the Democratic-Republicans. The decision also set the precedent for what the Supreme Court could and could not do in the future, and gave the Court more power than it had in the past (Faragher, et al., 2009). Additionally, it helped the judiciary to remain completely independent, and showcased the balance of power that is seen between the three different branches of government.
Overall, Marbury v. Madison seemed like a small thing on its surface. It was a lawsuit asking…

Sources used in this document:
References

Faragher, J.M., Buhle, M.J., Czitrom, D., & Armitage, S.H. (2009). Out of many: A history of the American people, Volume I (5th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Prentice Hall. Chapter 9 pages 215-220.
Cite this Document:
Copy Bibliography Citation

Related Documents

Marbury V. Madison Is an
Words: 2297 Length: 8 Document Type: Research Paper

The Constitution gave the Supreme Court the responsibility to uphold the Constitution as the "Supreme Law of the Land," that is, supreme against Federal laws and State laws. Although each State had its own State Constitution and a Judiciary tasked with upholding the Constitution, State laws that violated the Federal Constitution could be overturned by a Federal court. The Power of the Judiciary Relative the Legislative and Executive Branches The Framers

Marbury Vs Madison 1803
Words: 855 Length: 2 Document Type: Essay

Marbury v. Madison case is a Supreme Court case that is studied due to its legal and historical significance. In the United States, this is the pioneering as well as most influential legal proceedings ever experienced. The case was the first one of that kind as it looked into the administrative that has been classified given that the law involves all interactions involving the Federal Government (Law.com, 2015). A Federalist, President

Marbury V. Madison Legal Case Involved a
Words: 606 Length: 2 Document Type: Essay

Marbury v. Madison legal case involved a divergence between William Marbury and James Madison on account of how the latter did not act in agreement with former (he finished his term before Madison was appointed Secretary of State) President John Adams' command to deliver several appointments naming Federal circuit judges and Federalist justices. Madison did not act on this command because he was under the power of the newly

Judicial Review and the Case Marbury V. Madison
Words: 587 Length: 2 Document Type: Essay

Marbury v. Madison Judicial Review and Marbury v. Madison Judicial review is the principle that the Supreme Court has the responsibility for deciding whether Congressional actions and the authority to nullify those laws that, in it's opinion, are unconstitutional. Though legislative nullification is not specifically mentioned in the Constitution as one of the Supreme Court's mandates, in practice judicial review is an extension of the principle of "checks and balances" inherent in

Marbury V. Madison and the Precedent It Set for the Future
Words: 1043 Length: 3 Document Type: Term Paper

Marbury v. Madison Facts of the case What were the circumstances of Marbury v. Madison in 1803? Why do some scholars and historians refer to Marbury v. Madison as among the most important cases to ever come before the United States Supreme Court? This paper covers the issues surrounding this case, presenting the facts and scholarship relating to the case as well. Facts of the case This was the first case to reach the

Marbury V Madison Impact
Words: 2107 Length: 6 Document Type: Essay

Marbury v. Madison (1803) impact on the daily lives of American citizens In 1803, Marbury v. Madison made the US Constitution as the supreme law, affirming the authority of the Court over judicial review. The U.S. Supreme Court concluded that the federal courts are allowed to overturn the decisions of the other arms of government in the event that they act contrary to the Constitution (GROSSMAN). This is one of those

Sign Up for Unlimited Study Help

Our semester plans gives you unlimited, unrestricted access to our entire library of resources —writing tools, guides, example essays, tutorials, class notes, and more.

Get Started Now