A review by judyward
The Great Decision: Jefferson, Adams, Marshall, and the Battle for the Supreme Court by Cliff Sloan

3.0

A fascinating look at the importance of the Marbury v. Madison decision by the Supreme Court in 1803. In the Marbury decision, John Marshall, the fourth Chief Justice, carved out a position of power for the then rather feeble Supreme Court by claiming the power of judicial review for that body which helped to define the boundaries between the three branches of government. In setting the background for the decision, the authors give a general history of the early Supreme Court, the attempt by John Adams to pack the Judicial branch with the "midnight justices", and the political personalities that interacted during the early years of the Republic. Based primarily on secondary sources and contemporary newspaper articles and editorials, the authors are able to present a vivid account of a period in our history that is often called the Second American Revolution.