What Kind of Nation: Thomas Jefferson, John Marshall, and the Epic Struggle to Create a United States

James F. Simon, the Martin Professor of Law at New York Law School, traces the protracted conflicts between Thomas Jefferson, an ardent believer in state sovereignty, and John Marshall, the first Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, who advocated a federal model buttressed by a strong judiciary. Professor Simon concludes that Marshall’s victory established the Court as an equal partner in the federal system.