Madison A conflict regarding John Adam's midnight judges and the Judiciary Act of 1801: William Marbury was one of several judges who had been promised a seat by John Adams, but never received a commission. James Madison, the Secretary of State under the Jefferson administration did not deliver the remaining commissions, and as a result, Marbury sued him, urging the Supreme Court to issue a writ of mandamus. Chief Justice John Marshall ruled that the ethical solution would be for Madison to deliver the commission, however the Supreme Court had no authority to order him to do so because...

• Word Count: 2386
• Approx Pages: 10
• Grade Level: Undergraduate

Joseph Ellis presents the personalities of John Adams, Aaron Burr, Benjamin Franklin, Alexander Hamilton, Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, and George Washington beautifully and in tremendous detail. ... In the second chapter, "The Dinner," Ellis exploits a secret compromise between Alexander Hamilton and James Madison in the scene of a dinner party hosted by Thomas Jefferson. ... To Hamilton's surprise, Madison who was an advocate of similar ideas rejected the fiscal plan. Madison thought it would disenfranchise veterans by repaying spectators instead. ... The failure resulted f...

• Word Count: 1379
• Approx Pages: 6
• Grade Level: Undergraduate