You have your choice of 2 essays here. Do either one but not both.

Essay A: American Democracy in the Making. Write a brief essay of about 3-5 pages in which you consider issues of the developing American nation during the administrations of Thomas Jefferson through Andrew Jackson, the period 1800-1840. Use at least three of the following sources to develop your ideas about how American democracy evolved during that time.using one of the following.

• Jefferson 's First Inaugural
• Madison 's War Message
• Hartford Convention Resolutions
• Jefferson on States Rights
• Jackson to the People of South Carolina
• Additional Documents

Can you see how the politics of those times relate to our world today?

Essay B. Chief Justice John Marshall. In your previous essay you wrote about the Constitution. In this essay you will look at how John Marshall strengthened teh Supreme Court and the Constitution. His jurisprudence set a standrad fr all future courts, and established precedents that have stood to this day. Using three or more of the following cases, describe Chief Justice Marshall's logic in interpreting the Constitution. How did he go about presenting his decisions?

• Marbury v. Madison
• Dartmouth College v. Woodward
• McCullough v. Maryland
• Gibbons v. Ogden

John Marshall is virtually unanimously regarded as the greatest American chief justice. Why do you think that is true?