Biographical Overview & Key Facts

Subject:

John Marshall Harlan

Role / Field:

Staunch advocate for civil rights, known for dissenting opinions on racial equality.

Born:

1833-06-01

Died:

1911-10-14

Century / Era:

1833s Historical Era

Database Source:

2Day Chrono-Wiki & Wikipedia CC BY-SA 4.0

Origins & Early Life

John Marshall Harlan (June 1, 1833 – October 14, 1911) was an American lawyer and politician who served as an associate justice of the Supreme Court of the United States from 1877 until his death in 1911. He is often called "The Great Dissenter" due to his many dissents in cases that restricted civil liberties, including the Civil Rights Cases, Plessy v. Ferguson, and Giles v. Harris.

Pivotal Works & Achievements

Many of Harlan's views expressed in his notable dissents would become the official view of the Supreme Court starting from the 1950s Warren Court and onward. Born into a prominent, slave-holding family near Danville, Kentucky, Harlan experienced a quick rise to political prominence. When the American Civil War broke out, Harlan strongly supported the Union and recruited the 10th Kentucky Infantry. Despite his opposition to the Emancipation Proclamation, he served in the war until 1863, when he was elected attorney general of Kentucky. Harlan lost his re-election bid in 1867 and joined the Republican Party in the following year, quickly emerging as the leader of the Kentucky Republican Party.

Enduring Legacy & Impact

In 1877, President Rutherford B. Hayes appointed Harlan to the Supreme Court. Harlan's jurisprudence was marked...

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Frequently Asked Questions about John Marshall Harlan