Book excerpt: Collected here are correspondence, papers, and legal documents--including selected judicial opinions--of American jurist John Marshall. Revolutionary officer, congressman, and secretary of state before his appointment to the Supreme Court, Marshall served as the Court's fourth Chief Justice. In this capacity, he helped define the role of the Court and elevate its status, as he interpreted the Constitution from the bench. The documents presented in these volumes--with introductory material and notes--shed light not only on Marshall's life and thought but on the evolution of American jurisprudence as well.