The Great Decision: Jefferson, Adams, Marshall, and the Battle for the Supreme Court

In 1800, the United States teetered on the brink of a second revolution. The presidential election between Adams and Jefferson was a bitterly contested tie, and the government neared collapse. The Supreme Court had no clear purpose or power -- no one had even thought to build it a courtroom in the new capital city. When Adams sought to prolong his policies in defiance of the electorate by packing the courts, the fine words of the new Constitution could do nothing to stop him. It would take a man to make those words good, and America found him in John Marshall.

The Great Decision tells the riveting story of Marshall and of the landmark court case, Marbury v. Madison, through which he empowered the Supreme Court and transformed the idea of the separation of powers into a working blueprint for our modern state. Rich in atmospheric detail, political intrigue, and fascinating characters, The Great Decision is an illuminating tale of America's formative years and of the evolution of our democracy.

Author: Cliff Sloan, David McKean
Publisher: PublicAffairs
Published: 03/02/2010
Pages: 288
Binding Type: Paperback
Weight: 0.56lbs
Size: 8.94h x 6.08w x 0.77d
ISBN13: 9781586488055
ISBN10: 1586488058
BISAC Categories:
- History | United States | 19th Century
- Law | Legal History
- Law | Courts | General

About the Author
Cliff Sloan is a former Supreme Court clerk. He has written about the Supreme Court for many publications, including Newsweek, the Washington Post, and Slate.

David McKean is a top-level Senate aide, a veteran political strategist, and the author of Friends in High Places and Tommy the Cork.