Quiz I: Chapters 1 - 6

Question 1

What did President John Adams consider the greatest achievement of his presidency?

Answer 1

His appointment of Justice John Marshall. Some consider Adam’s nomination of Justice Marshall to be the best Supreme Court nomination in American history.

Question 2

Who appointed Justice Joseph Story (elected at 32), the youngest Supreme Court Justice in American history?

Answer 2

America’s fourth President, James Madison.

Question 3

What did Thomas Jefferson want to do with the Supreme Court?

Answer 3

He wanted to balance its Federalist majority. He appointed three “…’ Republican-Democrat’(s)…”. His last appointment came after Congress added another Justice to SCOTUS.

Question 4

What Constitutional article provides the procedures for SCOTUS appointments?

Answer 4

Article II, Section 2.

Question 5

What three Presidents did not have an opportunity to appoint a Supreme Court Justice?

Answer 5

William Henry Harrison, Zachary Taylor, and Jimmy Carter.

Question 6

How many SCOTUS appointments did Abraham Lincoln make?

Answer 6

Five, three of which had major roles during his Presidency.

Question 7

Who appointed Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr., considered one of the greatest justices of the twentieth century?

Answer 7

President Theodore Roosevelt.

Question 8

Who nominated Sandra Day O’Connor, the first female Supreme Court Justice?

Answer 8

Ronald Reagan.

Question 9

What Supreme Court Case affirmed the supremacy of the Constitution?

Answer 9

McCulloch v. Maryland (associated with Justice John Marshall).

Question 10

How long did Justice John Marshal serve on the Supreme Court?

Answer 10

34 years.

Question 11

What is the legacy of Justice Joseph Story?

Answer 11

Story was instrumental in helping SCOTUS emody and fulfill its role as envisioned by the Founding Fathers.

Promoted uniform commercial system.

Helped develop admiralty law, patent law, and equity jurisprudence.

He is known for his constitutional scholarship.

Question 12

What Justice is responsible for the worst Supreme Court decision in history, i.e., the Dredd Scott ruling?

Answer 12

Chief Justice Roger Taney: he was appointed by President Andrew Jackson.

Question 13

Who was the first President not to nominate a Supreme Court Justice?

Answer 13

President William Henry Harrison, our nation’s first Whig President.

Question 14

Where, and in what building, did the Supreme Court first meet?

Answer 14

New York’s Merchant’s Exchange Building.

Question 15

Where did the Supreme Court move in 1790 after the passing of the Residence Act?

Answer 15

Independence Hall in Philadelphia.

Question 16

What did the Residence Act of 1790 have to do with?

Answer 16

This act provided America with a national capital and allotted land adjacent to the Potomac River to be built.

Question 17

Who did SCOTUS share Independence Hall with?

Answer 17

The Pennsylvania Supreme Court and Congress.

Question 18

Where did the Supreme Court move when they vacated Independence Hall?

Answer 18

Philadelphia’s City Hall.

Question 19

Who had priority over the Supreme Court while they were in Philadelphia’s City Hall?

Answer 19

Philadelphia’s Mayor’s Court.

Question 20

How long did the Supreme Court operate out of Philadelphia’s City Hall?

Answer 20

Nine years.

Question 21

Where did the Supreme Court relocate too after vacating Philadelphia’s City Hall?

Answer 21

The Capital building in D.C.

Question 22

What happened to the Capital Building in 1812 that caused the Supreme Court to be temporarily homeless?

Answer 22

The British set fire to the Capital Building.

Question 23

In what federal building did the Supreme Court have their first officially designated space for its proceedings?

Answer 23

The Supreme Court Chamber. It was located in the Capital Building.

Question 24

What President suggested SCOTUS have its own building?

Answer 24

Former President and then Chief Justice William Taft.

Question 25

What year did SCOTUS meet at the newly erected Supreme Court Building?

Answer 25

1935

Question 26

Who was the Supreme Court’s first reporter?

Answer 26

James Dallas, a Philidelphia lawyer who appointed himself in 1791 for personal gain and reputation.

Question 27

What was James Dallas’ main interest regarding the Supreme Court?

Answer 27

State decisions or decisions that effected Pennsylvania.

Question 28

What were the issues with Dallas’ reporting?

Answer 28

I. Lack of institutional precedent (he was more concerned with state cases).

II. Reported decisions in no more than 60 cases.

III. Some historians expect he failed to report as much as 1/3 of SCOTUS cases in the first ten years of the Supreme Court.

IV. Slow to produce publications.

V. Reports had many inaccuracies.

Question 29

Who succeeded James Dallas?

Answer 29

William Cranch, a D.C. Circuit Court judge.

Question 30

When did Congress authorize SCOTUS to hire a salaried court reporter?

Answer 30

1817.

Question 31

Who was SCOTUS’ first salaried court reporter?

Answer 31

Henry Wheaton. He earned $1,000 annually.

Question 32

How did Georgia respond to SCOTUS’ ruling in favor of the Cherokee Nation in Cherokee v. Georgia?

Answer 32

Georgia ignored the Supreme Court ruling.

Question 33

How long did Congress require SCOTUS Justices to ride the circuit?

Answer 33

102 years, from 1789-1891.

Question 34

What act of Congress established America’s federal judiciary system?

Answer 34

The Judiciary Act of 1789.

Question 35

What was the structure of the federal judiciary according to the Judiciary Act of 1789?

Answer 35

The Judiciary Act of 1789 established a three-tier federal judiciary.

I. The Supreme Court (5 Associate Justices and 1 Chief Justice.

II. The Circuit Courts (made up of the Eastern, Middle, and Southern regions).

III. District Courts (13 total, 1 for each state that ratified the Constitution 11 months earlier).

Question 36

What is the key difference between the three-tier federal judiciary of 1789 compared to today’s three-tier judiciary?

Answer 36

The Circuit Courts of the 1789 Judiciary Act were mainly criminal trial courts with very limited appellate duties; today’s Circuit Courts are only appellate courts; criminal cases must pass through the District Courts and then appeal to the Circuit Courts of Appeals.

Question 37

Who occupied the benches of the Circuit Courts?

Answer 37

Two Supreme Court Justices and one federal district judge.

Question 38

How many Circuit Court sessions were there annually?

Answer 38

Twice a year.

Question 39

Why did Congress find it necessary not to appoint Circuit Court justices?

Answer 39

America was cash-poor, heavily indebted, and its citizens were skeptical of big government. Therefore, Congress thought by having SCOTUS Justices and District Court justices do double duty, they would enhance the quality and uniformity of lower-court rulings, bring SCOTUS to the people, and have Supreme Court Justices act as unofficial federal ambassadors that would educate the public on the necessity of a strong centralized government to protect their Constitutional rights.