Question

What caused the famous court case Marbury v. Madison?

1. The acquisition of new land under Jefferson’s leadership
2. The contested election of 1800
3. The question over the legality of the National Bank
4. The effort to pack the courts with Federalist judges by outgoing President John Adams

Answer 1

4. The effort to pack the courts with Federalist judges by outgoing President John Adams.

Step-by-step explanation:

The famous Supreme court case of Marbury v. Madison began after outgoing President John Adams 'appointed' several dozen federalists as justices of the peace. Though the appointments were made during his presidency, the appointment letter did not reach some of the newly-appointed justices, including William Marbury.

When the new President Thomas Jefferson came to office, Marbury filed a petition asking for the letter to be delivered to him. President Jefferson accepted the appointment of those who had received the letter but also upheld the decision to not deliver the remaining letters. He instructed James Madison, his Secretary of State, to not deliver the remaining letters and thus, making void the appointments of those who did not receive the letter on time.

Thus, the correct answer is option 4.