Without Precedent

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The remarkable story of John Marshall, who served as chief justice, statesman, and diplomat, highlights his pivotal role in the founding of the United States. No figure from America's Founding Generation influenced the Constitution and the Supreme Court more than Marshall, who worked tirelessly to maintain the fragile unity of the emerging nation. From 1776 onward, he was central to every major political conflict. As the longest-serving Chief Justice in history, he established the independence of the judiciary and affirmed the supremacy of the federal Constitution and courts. As Virginia's leading Federalist, he was a significant rival to his cousin Thomas Jefferson. His diplomatic efforts included defending American sovereignty against France and Britain, advising President John Adams, and overseeing the construction of Washington, D.C. This true story chronicles the journey of a rough-cut frontiersman born in Virginia in 1755 with minimal formal education, who became one of the nation’s foremost lawyers and politicians. He reinvented the Constitution to strengthen the nation. This engrossing account reveals how Marshall, with cunning, imagination, and grace, shaped America's future while holding together the Supreme Court, the Constitution, and the country itself.