John Marshall was once characterized by Chief Justice Gray of the Supreme Judicial Court of Massachusetts as the "greatest judge in the language," that is, in the English-speaking world.' Lord Bryce spoke of his decisions as never having been "surpassed and rarely equaled by the most famous jurists of modern Europe or of ancient Rome." 2 So enduring were hisaccomplishments that it seems almost temerarious to attempt to analyze certain of the problems and issues that beset him and other judges nearly two centuries ago. Yet one must recognize that at the time these were problems of great urgency which were dealt with so effectively and definitively that the Supreme Court of that era left us a legacy that is amazing in its magnitude. It was with reason as well as foresight that, in old age, ex-President John Adams referred to the

Marshall Court as "the most important institution in the history of the United States."

Law Versus Politics in the Early Years of the Marshall Court

Key Takeaway: Marshall Court as "the most important institution in the history of the United States."