Kara Sears
John Marshall, born in 1755, was the first of 15 children and is known for laying the foundations of American constitutional law. He studied law at William & Mary under George Wythe, who became his mentor. Marshall went on to become the fourth chief justice of the young nation, serving under five presidents over three decades. He is best known for establishing the power of the judiciary department and interpreting the Constitution in ways that enhanced the powers of the federal government. Another notable figure in law is Thurgood Marshall, who was the first African-American justice of the Supreme Court of the United States. He was a prominent civil rights lawyer and jurist, fighting for racial equality and an end to segregation in American public schools. Thurgood Marshall was introduced to the world of law and the NAACP by his mentor, Charles Houston, who taught him to use the law as a tool to fight for civil rights.
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What You'll Learn
Thurgood Marshall's early life
Thurgood Marshall, born Thoroughgood Marshall, came into the world on July 2, 1908, in Baltimore, Maryland. Marshall's father, William Canfield Marshall, worked various jobs as a waiter and steward, while his mother, Norma Marshall, was an elementary school teacher. Marshall's grandfather, Thorney Marshall, had been enslaved as a child but managed to escape to Baltimore, where he started a new life.
As a child, Marshall was energetic and frequently found himself in trouble. He loved to argue and excelled in his school's debate team. Marshall's father enjoyed following legal cases and often took him to court to observe the proceedings. This exposure to the legal system, coupled with his father's influence, instilled in Marshall a deep appreciation for the law and a desire to pursue a career in it.
Marshall completed his high school education in 1925 and went on to attend Lincoln University in Oxford, Pennsylvania, an all-black institution and the oldest African-American institution of higher education in the country. At Lincoln, he was a part of the debate team and the Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity. He also met and married his first wife, Vivian "Buster" Burey, in 1929.
After graduating from Lincoln University with an undergraduate degree, Marshall set his sights on law school. He initially wanted to attend the University of Maryland School of Law, but they denied him admission due to his race. Undeterred, Marshall enrolled at Howard University Law School in Washington, D.C., where he studied under the influential Charles Hamilton Houston, who shared Marshall's passion for challenging racial segregation and inequality. Marshall excelled at Howard, graduating first in his class in 1933.
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Education and mentorship
Thurgood Marshall, an American civil rights lawyer and jurist, was first introduced to the law by his father, William Canfield Marshall, who was an amateur writer and worked as a dining car waiter on a railroad. William Marshall would occasionally take his son Thurgood to court, where they would watch legal procedures and arguments being presented. Following this, the father and son would debate legal issues and current events. Thurgood Marshall's father would challenge his son to prove his case, which helped develop his critical thinking skills and fostered his interest in law.
Marshall's formal education began at Lincoln University, the oldest college for African Americans in the United States. He graduated with honours in 1930 with a bachelor's degree in American literature and philosophy. Due to racial segregation, Marshall was unable to attend the all-white University of Maryland Law School and instead enrolled at Howard University School of Law in Washington, D.C. At Howard, Marshall was mentored by Charles Hamilton Houston, who taught his students to be "'social engineers' and use the law as a tool to fight for civil rights. Houston's influence on Marshall was profound, and the two worked closely together on numerous cases and for the NAACP. Marshall described Houston as insisting that his students be "social engineers rather than lawyers," a mantra that Marshall upheld throughout his career.
In addition to Houston, Marshall also credited his father, William, as a mentor who played a significant role in his legal education. Marshall's father exposed him to legal processes and encouraged critical thinking and debate. This early exposure to the law and mentorship from his father laid the foundation for Marshall's future success as a lawyer and jurist.
Marshall's education and mentorship equipped him with the knowledge and skills necessary to become a prominent civil rights lawyer and jurist. He successfully argued before the Supreme Court, led the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, and became the first African-American justice of the Supreme Court of the United States. Marshall's legal career was defined by his commitment to social engineering and using the law to advance civil rights, which he learned from his mentors, Charles Houston and his father, William Marshall.
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Career before the Supreme Court
Thurgood Marshall, born in Baltimore, Maryland, on July 2, 1908, had a career as a civil rights lawyer and jurist before he became an associate justice of the Supreme Court of the United States in 1967. He was the first African-American justice of the Supreme Court.
Marshall graduated from Lincoln University in 1930 with a bachelor's degree in American literature and philosophy. He then applied to the University of Maryland Law School but was denied admission due to the school's segregation policy. He then enrolled at Howard University School of Law in Washington, D.C., where he was mentored by Charles Hamilton Houston, who taught his students to use the law as a vehicle to fight for civil rights. Marshall graduated first in his class in 1933 and passed the Maryland bar examination the same year.
After graduating, Marshall opened a law office in Baltimore and began to take on cases dealing with police brutality, evictions, and harsh landlords. He soon gained big clients, including labor organizations, building associations, and corporations. Marshall also began volunteering with the NAACP and eventually became one of their attorneys, joining his mentor Houston to argue cases together. In the early 1930s, he successfully represented the local NAACP chapter in a lawsuit challenging the University of Maryland Law School's segregation policy. He also successfully brought lawsuits that integrated other state universities. In 1935, Houston got Marshall appointed as Assistant Special Counsel for New York in the NAACP, and in 1938, Marshall took over as Special Counsel. In this role, he travelled to dangerous areas in the South to investigate issues such as lynching, the denial of voting rights, and the lack of fair trials for African-Americans.
In 1940, Marshall founded the NAACP Legal Defense Fund and became the key strategist in the effort to end racial segregation. He was particularly focused on meticulously challenging Plessy v. Ferguson, the Court-sanctioned legal doctrine that called for "separate but equal" structures for white and Black people. In the years after 1945, Marshall resumed his offensive against racial segregation in schools, devising a strategy that emphasized the inherent educational disparities caused by segregation. In 1948, the Court ruled in Marshall's favor in Sipuel v. Board of Regents of the University of Oklahoma, ordering that Oklahoma provide Ada Lois Sipuel with a legal education.
Marshall went on to argue several notable cases, including Murray v. Maryland (1936), Missouri ex rel Gaines v. Canada (1938), Sweatt v. Painter (1950), and McLaurin v. Oklahoma Board of Regents of Higher Education (1950). He won 29 out of 32 civil rights cases that he argued before the Supreme Court.
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Notable Supreme Court cases
John Marshall, the fourth Chief Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court, is best known for two key contributions to modern U.S. government. Firstly, he established the power and prestige of the judiciary, asserting its authority to interpret the Constitution as the paramount law and to hold the other branches accountable to it. Secondly, his interpretation of the Constitution significantly enhanced the powers of the federal government.
Some notable cases of the Marshall Court include:
- Marbury v. Madison, where Marshall asserted the power of judicial review, allowing the Supreme Court to nullify any law or government action that violates the Constitution.
- Wheaton v. Peters (1834): The Court ruled that no reporter has or can have any copyright in the written opinions delivered by the Supreme Court, and the Justices cannot confer such a right.
- Barron v. Baltimore (1833): The Court decided that the provision in the Fifth Amendment, stating that private property cannot be taken for public use without just compensation, applies only to the federal government and not to state legislation.
- U.S. v. Percheman (1832): This case involved the Court's authority and contributed to its own power.
- The Marshall Court's major decisions also addressed issues like the powers of Congress, property rights, and relations with Native American tribes.
Thurgood Marshall, an associate justice of the Supreme Court, was also a prominent figure in notable cases. Some of these include:
- Brown v. Board of Education (1954): The Court ruled that segregation in public education is unconstitutional, marking a significant victory in the civil rights movement.
- Sipuel v. Board of Regents of the University of Oklahoma (1948): The Court ordered that Oklahoma provide Ada Lois Sipuel with a legal education, addressing educational disparities caused by segregation.
- Furman v. Georgia: The Court struck down capital punishment statutes, with Marshall writing that the death penalty was "morally unacceptable" and disproportionately affected the underprivileged.
- Texas v. Johnson and United States v. Eichman: Marshall joined the majority opinion, protecting the right to burn the American flag under the First Amendment.
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Marshall's legacy
Thurgood Marshall, born in Baltimore, Maryland, on July 2, 1908, was an American civil rights lawyer and jurist. He was the first African-American justice of the Supreme Court of the United States, serving from 1967 to 1991. Before his tenure as a judge, Marshall was an attorney who fought for civil rights and led the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund.
Marshall's work extended beyond education, as he successfully challenged other forms of racial discrimination as well. He took on cases dealing with police brutality, evictions, and unfair landlords, always presenting himself as respectful yet forceful. Marshall's zeal for ensuring the rights of all citizens, regardless of race, caught the attention of President John F. Kennedy, who appointed him to various judicial positions, including the U.S. Court of Appeals and Solicitor General.
Marshall's impact on the legal landscape extended beyond civil rights. He was part of significant First Amendment cases, such as Texas v. Johnson and United States v. Eichman, where he upheld the right to burn the American flag as protected speech. In cases like Stanley v. Georgia, he asserted that the First Amendment protects an individual's right to own pornography for private use. Marshall also dissented in cases involving the death penalty, deeming it "morally unacceptable" and a form of "vestigial savagery."
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Frequently asked questions
Thurgood Marshall was the first African-American justice on the Supreme Court.
Thurgood Marshall attended Lincoln University, the oldest African-American institution of higher education in the country. He then went on to attend law school at Howard University.
Thurgood Marshall's mentor was Charles Hamilton Houston, who taught him to use the law as a vehicle to fight for civil rights.
Thurgood Marshall was a prominent civil rights lawyer and jurist before becoming a Supreme Court Justice. He led the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund and was appointed by President John F. Kennedy to the U.S. Court of Appeals.
Thurgood Marshall is known for his contributions to civil rights, particularly in the movement to end racial segregation in American public schools. He was also one of the country's greatest jurists and civil rights advocates, known for his sense of humor and storytelling abilities.
