What circumstance led to the case of Marbury v. Madison?

The case of Marbury v. Madison arose from a specific situation where William Marbury was denied his commission as a justice of the peace despite being appointed by President John Adams. This denial occurred during a governmental transition when Thomas Jefferson took office as president. Jefferson’s Secretary of State, James Madison, refused to deliver the commission to Marbury, effectively preventing him from assuming his judicial position. This legal conflict led Marbury to petition the Supreme Court for a writ of mandamus, which sought to force Madison to deliver the commission.

The significance of this case lies in its establishment of the principle of judicial review, which allows the Supreme Court to invalidate laws that it finds to be in conflict with the Constitution. This set a precedent for the role of the judiciary in American governance and solidified the power of the courts in checking the actions of the executive and legislative branches. This context underscores why the circumstance involving Marbury’s denial of the commission is pivotal to understanding the case.