History Conversations REWIND | William Marbury—The Man Whose Lawsuit Made the Supreme Court, Supreme

with Jim Johnston | Prerecorded virtual event |

 

Learn about a 200+ year-old tale of Supreme Court history this week, as Jim Johnston details the pivotal 1803 case of Marbury v. Madison and the man behind it–William Marbury. Born to an impoverished tobacco farmer in Prince George’s County, young Marbury had bigger dreams of fame and fortune. By 1800, he had acquired wealth and a large house in Georgetown. Following a dispute in which incoming president Thomas Jefferson told Secretary of State James Madison not to deliver Marbury his commission as justice of the peace, Marbury resolved to use his wealth to teach Jefferson a lesson. Learn about the resulting Supreme Court case, Marbury v. Madison, and how it established the proposition that the Supreme Court reigns supreme on matters of constitutional interpretation. Originally aired October 2020.