John Marshall: The Great Chief Justice

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…declared that a law was unconstitutional, therefore setting a precident giving the Supreme Court the power to declare laws unconstitutional. Because of this ruling alone, John Marshall is a very prominent figure in American history and American law, but his acheivements do not end at that. During John Marshall's life, and particularly during his reign as chief justice, the power of the judicial branch became equally powerful to the other branches of the US government.