In the book, Strauss recounts how the Chief Justice acted as the glue that held the union together after the original founding days. The Supreme Court met in the basement of the new Capitol building in Washington when Marshall took over, which is indicative of what the executive and legislative branches thought of the judiciary.
“John Marshall: The Final Founder” advocates a change in the view of when the “founding” of the United States ended. That has long been thought of as the signing of the Constitution, the acceptance of the Bill of Rights or the beginning of the Washington presidency. “The Final Founder” pushes that forward to the peaceful change of power from Federalist to Democrat-Republican and, especially, Marshall’s singular achievement – to move the Court from the basement and truly make it Supreme.
Strauss is a freelance journalist who has had more than 1000 bylines in The New York Times. He has taught non-fiction writing at the University of Pennsylvania since 1999 and been an adjunct professor at Temple University, the University of Delaware and St. Joseph’s University. He is the author of “Worst. President. Ever.” among other books.
This event was recorded on April 29, 2021.