In this lesson, you have learned about many groundbreaking decisions of the Marshall Court: the first time the Supreme Court exercised judicial review over an act of Congress in Marbury v. Madison, the first time the Supreme Court recognized an implied power of Congress in McCulloch v. Maryland, and the first time the Supreme Court broadly interpreted the "commerce clause" in Gibbons v. Ogden. These decisions are considered some of the most important handed down by the Marshall Court; however, many other rulings helped shape the early American legal landscape, too.
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| John Marshall: Chief Justice 1801-1835 |
Take some time to explore two other decisions handed down by the Marshall Court that were not covered in this lesson. Click the Activity button below to download a worksheet that will guide you through the process. When you have completed your research, submit the worksheet to your teacher.
This assignment will be graded using the following rubric.
| Points | Criteria | |
|---|---|---|
| Cases and Sources 2 Points |
1 | The cases that you researched were heard by the Supreme Court sometime between 1804 and 1824. |
| 1 | The sources that you used to research your cases were reliable web sites. | |
| Explanation of Dispute and Summary of Arguments 4 Points |
2 | Your answer adequately explains the dispute between the two parties named in the case. |
| 2 | Your answer summarizes the key points made by the lawyers for each party named in the case. | |
| Description of Path to the Supreme Court and Explanation of Supreme Court Decision 4 Points |
2 | Your answer describes the path that the case took to reach the Supreme Court, including who the lower courts ruled in favor of. |
| 2 | Your answer fully explains the decision reached by the Supreme Court and the reasoning behind that decision. |
