John Marshall
Chief Justice of the United States from 1801 to 1835
Who was John Marshall?
John Marshall (September 24, 1755 – July 6, 1835) was an American statesman, jurist, and Founding Father who served as the fourth chief justice of the United States from 1801 until his death in 1835. Marshall was born in Germantown in the Colony of Virginia in British America in 1755. Prior to joining the court, Marshall briefly served as both the U.S. secretary of state under President John Adams and a U.S. representative from Virginia, making him one of the few Americans to have held a constitutional office in each of the three branches of the United States federal government. After the outbreak of the American Revolutionary War, he joined the Continental Army, serving in numerous battles. During the later stages of the war, he was admitted to the state bar and won election to the Virginia House of Delegates.
Historical significance
He remains the longest-serving chief justice and fifth-longest-serving justice in the history of the U.S. Supreme Court, and he is widely regarded as one of the most influential justices ever to serve. Marshall favored the ratification of the U.S. Constitution, and he played a major role in Virginia's ratification of that document.
Life and career timeline: John Marshall
- 1755 born in Germantown Virginia
- 1801 served as fourth chief justice of the United States
- 1835 died