The Life of John Marshall, Vol. 2

by Albert J. Beveridge

John Marshall (1755-1835) became the fourth chief justice of the U.S. Supreme Court despite having had almost no formal schooling and after having studied law for a mere six weeks. Nevertheless, Marshall remains the only judge in American history whose distinction derives almost entirely from his judicial career. During Marshall's nearly 35-year tenure as chief justice, he wielded the Constitution's awe-inspiring power aggressively and wisely, setting the Supreme Court on a course for the ages by ensuring its equal position in the triumvirate of the federal government of the United States and securing its role as interpreter and enforcer of the Constitution. Marshall's judicial energies were as unflagging as his vision was expansive. This four-volume life of Marshall received wide acclaim upon its initial publication in 1920, winning the Pulitzer Prize that year, and makes fascinating reading for the lawyer, historian, and legal scholar.

Genres: Biography

636 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1916

About the author

Albert Jeremiah Beveridge (October 6, 1862 – April 27, 1927) was an American historian and United States Senator from Indiana. He was an intellectual leader of the Progressive Era, and a biographer of justice John Marshall and President Abraham Lincoln.

(wikipedia)

Reviews

[Dave Carroll · Rating 5 out of 5]

A deep dive into the weeds of National formation

This Second of Four Volumes on #thelifeofjohnmarshall should, on the surface, appear dense, exhaustive and arcane. And it is.

It is also one of the most balanced and comprehensive examinations of the period between the end of #americanrevolutionarywar and the beginning of the 19th Century as the nascent #unitedstatesofamerica began the complicated task of, not only defining itself, but surviving the very real political and economic challenges it faced that, in truth, gave odds to its collapse even before it could get its feet under it.

Following the retirement of #georgewashington and the election of #johnadams as president, the unifying power of the first president could no longer contain the full on emergence of political influence, exemplified in the embodiment of Adams, the leader of the English leaning #federalist party and #thomasjefferson ,the driving force of the #democraticrepublican party, heretofore referred as the #republicans in the book (the term #democrat was treated as a pejorative in both factions and not truly embraced until the presidency of #andrewjackson ). In the middle of this battle was John Marshall, the rare Federalist in a decidedly anti-federalist Virginia, who was charged to carry out the policies of John Adams, whom he greatly respected, in the onslaught of criticism by Thomas Jefferson, a man he once admired, whom Marshall now loathed. Tasked to negotiate a treaty with the French in the shadow of the much despised Jay Treaty with England, which the French took as a sign of capitulation by the United States to their former adversary, albeit motherland #england , France was embittered by Adams insistence of neutrality in France's conflict with England and America's reneging on loan payments to France following the #frenchrevolution . France's dismissiveness of America's envoys, personified in Marshall, #charlespinckney and #elbridgegerry , Marshalls refusal to pay bribes to France and the vehement remonstrance by Marshall that led to the exposure of the #xyzscandal made him a hero to the #federalists and a fear rival of Jefferson. Returning to take up a seat in Congress, a turn as #secretaryofstate and principal speechwriter of Adams (he penned Adams unique Farewell to Congress Address, a practice not duplicated both other outgoing Vice Presidents in their role as Period the Senate).

The second volume closes with his appointment as #chiefjusticeofthesupremecourt .This series won the 1920 #pulitzerprizeforbiography and #albertjbeveridge , former Senator from Indiana and gifted historian penned an entertaining and engaging history despite the density and plethora of extensively footnoted detail.
#unitedstateshistory #pulitzerreadingchallenge#readtheworldchallenge #globalreadingchallenge

[Ed Barton · Rating 4 out of 5]

Constitution to Chief Justice

Covering the period 1790 to 1800, you get a discussion of the XYZ affair, the rise of Marshall as a Federalist leader, his time in Congress and limited time as Secretary of State before his appointment as Chief Justice. The historian will appreciate the commentary around the rise of political parties and the sharp elbowed politics that still prevail over 200 years later. A great biography of one of the most influential of the Founders.

[William Whalen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Volume II is well worth reading. The book draws a strong distinction between Marshall and his cousin Jefferson. You also see Marshall's strong ties to the Federalists but his willingness to break from them on principle. I did bog down somewhat during Marshall's time in France but otherwise this remained as user friendly as Volume I. Onto Volume III.

[John Hively · Rating 5 out of 5]

Best book on Marshall are by Albert Beveridge volumes 1-4. Nobody comes close to Beveridge when capturing the life of Marshall. One thing never mentioned by Beveridge and the other Marshall biographers is that Marshall was a notorious liar and used lies to justify legal rulings, which, coincidentally, benefited himself and his wealthy Federalist "intimates."