1. Marbury vs. Madison. Kat Schoettler and Olivia Lee.

2. Definition: n. An 1803 case in which the Supreme Court ruled that it had the power to abolish legislative acts by declaring them unconstitutional; this power came to be known as judicial review.

3. Background Events: The Judiciary Act of 1801 increased the number of federal judges by 16, which forced John Adams to fill these positions. These judges are also known as midnight judges since Adams signed their appointments late on the last day of his administration. Since Adams signed them so late, Jefferson didn’t receive all of the documents authorizing the judges in time, so Jefferson announced these appointments as invalid. William Marbury was one of the judges who didn’t receive their official papers. James Madison was Jefferson’s Secretary of State at the time and the one in charge of delivering the papers. The Judiciary Act of 1789 had required the Supreme court to order that the papers be delivered, so Marbury sued to enforce this Act.

4. IMPORTANCE: Affirmed the principle of Judicial Review. Judicial Review = the ability of the Supreme Court to declare an act of Congress unconstitutional.