U.S. Supreme Court Chief Justice, Presidential Cabinet Secretary. He is probably best remembered for his majority opinion concerning the 1857 Dred Scott versus Sandford case, that African-Americans, regardless of status as an enslaved or free person, were not included in American citizenship, and did not have rights and privileges afforded them under the Constitution. His broad decision angered the North, strengthening the newly-formed Republican Party, and became a flashpoint in the political strife of the time period, and was one of the main contributing factors that hastened the coming of the American Civil War. Born into a wealthy slave-owning family, he graduated from Dickinson College, Carlisle, Pennsylvania in 1796. He then studied law and was admitted to the bar in 1799 and was was elected to the Maryland House of Delegates as a member of the Federalist Party. In 1801, he began his law practice in Frederick, Maryland and quickly acquired a reputation as a competent attorney. He then moved to Baltimore, Maryland where he became adviser to Charles Carroll of Carrollton, one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence. He left the Federalist Party for the Democratic Party in 1812, in support of the War of 1812. In 1827 he was appointed Maryland State Attorney General. He became a fervent supporter of President Andrew Jackson and was appointed the U.S. Attorney General in 1831, which marked the first time a U.S. cabinet post was given to a Catholic. He then was named Secretary of the Treasury by President Jackson in 1833. Because of political differences, the Senate refused to confirm him, and the following year he resigned. He was then nominated to the U.S. Supreme Court to fill the seat vacated by the death of John Marshall as was approved as its fifth Chief Justice on March 28, 1836 and became the first Catholic to serve on the Supreme Court. As Chief Justice, he administered the oath of office to eight U.S. Presidents, the first being Martin Van Buren and the last being Abraham Lincoln. During the Civil War, despite being staunchly pro-slavery, he did not resign his position, and remained in contention with President Abraham Lincoln, opposing him on many measures that Lincoln took to prosecute the war. He died in office at the age of 87.

U.S. Supreme Court Chief Justice, Presidential Cabinet Secretary. He is probably best remembered for his majority opinion concerning the 1857 Dred Scott versus Sandford case, that African-Americans, regardless of status as an enslaved or free person, were not included in American citizenship, and did not have rights and privileges afforded them under the Constitution. His broad decision angered the North, strengthening the newly-formed Republican Party, and became a flashpoint in the political strife of the time period, and was one of the main contributing factors that hastened the coming of the American Civil War. Born into a wealthy slave-owning family, he graduated from Dickinson College, Carlisle, Pennsylvania in 1796. He then studied law and was admitted to the bar in 1799 and was was elected to the Maryland House of Delegates as a member of the Federalist Party. In 1801, he began his law practice in Frederick, Maryland and quickly acquired a reputation as a competent attorney. He then moved to Baltimore, Maryland where he became adviser to Charles Carroll of Carrollton, one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence. He left the Federalist Party for the Democratic Party in 1812, in support of the War of 1812. In 1827 he was appointed Maryland State Attorney General. He became a fervent supporter of President Andrew Jackson and was appointed the U.S. Attorney General in 1831, which marked the first time a U.S. cabinet post was given to a Catholic. He then was named Secretary of the Treasury by President Jackson in 1833. Because of political differences, the Senate refused to confirm him, and the following year he resigned. He was then nominated to the U.S. Supreme Court to fill the seat vacated by the death of John Marshall as was approved as its fifth Chief Justice on March 28, 1836 and became the first Catholic to serve on the Supreme Court. As Chief Justice, he administered the oath of office to eight U.S. Presidents, the first being Martin Van Buren and the last being Abraham Lincoln. During the Civil War, despite being staunchly pro-slavery, he did not resign his position, and remained in contention with President Abraham Lincoln, opposing him on many measures that Lincoln took to prosecute the war. He died in office at the age of 87.