American Judiciary, Part 5: John Marshall, Soldier of the Revolution

The New Nation
Written By Tom Hand

Soon after Lexington and Concord, John Marshall joined the Culpepper Minutemen and on December 9, 1775, received his first taste of war at the Battle of Great Bridge. The following summer, Marshall received a commission as a lieutenant in the Eleventh Virginia Regiment, beginning a four-year stint in the Continental Army. By all accounts, Marshall was an outstanding junior officer, a great leader of men and an inspiration for all those who served with him. It was through this crucible of war that Marshall’s deep sense of nationalism was formed, a nationalism that would shape all his decisions in the years to come.

Tom Hand, creator and publisher of Americana Corner, discusses John Marshall’s experience as a soldier, and why it still matters today. 

Images courtesy of the New York Public Library, Encyclopedia Virginia, Library of Congress, National Portrait Gallery - Smithsonian Institution, Wikimedia, National Army Museum - UK, Picryl, Yale University Art Gallery; “The Shot Heard ‘Round the World” by Domenick D'Andrea courtesy of the National Guard Bureau.

RELATED ARTICLES
American Judiciary, Part 4: The Early Life of John Marshall
American Judiciary, Part 4: The Early Life of John Marshall

John Marshall is perhaps the most impactful and influential man in American history who was never president. Almost single handedly, John Marshall created our national judiciary and established it as a branch of government co-equal to the legislative and executive branches.

American Judiciary, Part 3: Last Bastion of the Federalists
American Judiciary, Part 3: Last Bastion of the Federalists

After the Federalists were voted out of office in the fall of 1800 by Thomas Jefferson’s Democratic-Republican Party, the need for reform to the judicial system, the last stronghold of Federalist authority, became the most pressing concern of the outgoing Adams administration.

American Judiciary, Part 2: An Independent Federal Judiciary
American Judiciary, Part 2: An Independent Federal Judiciary

One of the foundational governing principles of the Constitution created at the Philadelphia Convention in the summer of 1787 was a separation of powers between the national legislative, executive, and judicial branches. But while significant operating concepts and responsibilities were set forth for Congress and the Executive in the Constitution, the delegates barely addressed the specific structure of the Judicial branch.

American Judiciary, Part 1: Courts in Early America
American Judiciary, Part 1: Courts in Early America

The court system in Colonial America, not surprisingly, mirrored that of Great Britain and became one of the great sources of discontent as American colonists moved towards independence. The main issue was over who would control or have the greatest influence on the judiciary.

Tom Hand
Next

American Judiciary, Part 4: The Early Life of John Marshall