John Marshall

John Marshall
4th Chief Justice of the United States
In office February 4, 1801 – July 6, 1835
Nominated by	John Adams
Preceded by	Oliver Ellsworth
Succeeded by	Roger B. Taney
4th United States Secretary of State
In office June 13, 1800 – February 4, 1801
President	John Adams
Preceded by	Timothy Pickering
Succeeded by	James Madison
U.S. Representative from Virginia
In office March 4, 1799 – June 7, 1800
Personal details
Born	(1755-09-24)September 24, 1755 Germantown, Virginia
Died	July 6, 1835(1835-07-06) (aged 79) Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.A.
Political party	Federalist
Spouse(s)	Mary Willis Ambler
Profession	Lawyer, Judge
Military service
Branch/service	Culpeper, Virginia Militia
Rank	Captain
Battles/wars	American Revolutionary War

John Marshall (September 24, 1755 – July 6, 1835) was an American statesman and jurist who shaped American constitutional law and made the Supreme Court more powerful. Marshall was the fourth Chief Justice of the United States, working from February 4, 1801, until his death in 1835. He worked in the United States House of Representatives from March 4, 1799, to June 7, 1800, and, under President John Adams, was Secretary of State from June 6, 1800, to March 4, 1801. Marshall was from the Commonwealth of Virginia and a leader of the Federalist Party.

The longest working Chief Justice in Supreme Court history, Marshall ruled the Court for thirty years and was an important part of making the American legal system. His most important addition was judicial review; the power to stop laws that violate the Constitution. Marshall has been called the one that made the judicial branch special and powerful. Marshall also balanced the power between the federal and state government. He made sure the federal law was more powerful than state law and agreed with an expansive reading of the enumerated powers.