TheSpiritoftheConstitutioncoverstheimpactandreputationofbothMcCullochandJusticeMarshallhimselfthroughoutAmericanhistory.2019marksthe200thanniversaryofoneofthemostimportantSupremeCourtdecisionsinAmericanhistory:McCullochv.Maryland.ThestateofMarylandtriedtoimpedetheestablishmentoftheBankoftheUnitedStates,butChiefJusticeJohnMarshalldecidedthattheNecessaryandProperclauseoftheConstitutiongavethefederalgovernmentimpliedpowersthatallowedittocharterthebankwithouthindrance.Thedecisionexpandedthepowerofthenationalgovernmentvis-?-visthestates,anditstillfigurescentrallyincontemporarydebatesaboutthescopeofnationallegislativepower.Indeed,ChiefJusticeRoberts’2012decisionupholdingtheAffordableCareActreliedonit.InTheSpiritoftheConstitution,DavidS.Schwartztellsthestoryofthedecision’slong-termimpactandtheevolutionofJusticeMarshall’sreputation.BytracingtherichhistoryofMcCulloch’sinfluencefrom1819tothepresent,heshowsthatitsmeaning-andsignificance-forjudges,politicalleaders,andthepublicvariedgreatlyovertime.Thecasewasalternatelycelebrated,denounced,ignored,andreinterpretedtosuittheneedsofthemoment.WhileMarshallwasneverreviled,hewasnotseenasespeciallyinfluentialuntilthelatenineteenthcentury.CompetingpartiesutilizedMcCullochinconstitutionaldebatesovernationalpowerintheearlyrepublic;overthequestionofslaveryinthelateantebellumperiod;andoverCongress’sroleinregulatingtheeconomyandcivilrightsinthetwentiethcentury.EvenafterMcCulloch’smeaningseemedfixedbythemid-twentiethcentury,newdebatesaboutitsimplicationshaveemergedinrecenttimes.Schwartz’sanalysisofMcCulloch’sremarkableimpactreaffirmsthecase’simportanceandunveilsthecircuitousprocessthroughwhichAmericanconstitutionallawandideologyaremade.
MARYLAND CONSTITUTION SPIRIT INDEED
