Edwin Corwin: JOHN MARSHALL AND THE CONSTITUTION

The era of John Marshall, which closely followed the enactment of the Constitution and the Bill of Rights, marked the further elaboration of our Federal system. America was still learning how to govern itself; her laws were still in development. This maturation caused intense and bitter debate between Marshall and his arch political enemy (and fellow Virginian), Thomas Jefferson. One of the most heated issues between these two educated men was the idea of states' rights versus federalism. Jefferson was an advocate of the former, while Marshall supported the latter.

Marbury vs. Madison provided the Supreme Court with the decision that would clinch Marshall's victory; Marshall, once and for all, concluded that the Supreme Court had the power to declare congressional laws unconstitutional. Federalism had won out, even though the debate would continue to rage even after Jefferson had been elected president, sworn in by Marshall himself.

Author Edward S. Corwin does not merely focus on Marshall's judicial prowess in this book. Instead, he introduces the reader to Marshall as a man--a patriot and a philosopher. In this, by bringing the man to life, Corwin demonstrates his skill as a storyteller. No, he was not merely a storyteller, though. Corwin is looked upon as one of the most formidable and talented historians of the past century. Over the course of his prestigious career, he held a position at Princeton University, as well as serving as president of the American Political Science Association.

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