Harlan, John Marshall (1833-1911), served as an associate justice of the Supreme Court of the United States from 1877 until his death. An independent, he was often the only justice to dissent from the court’s majority opinions. He opposed the court’s gradual narrowing of the civil rights guaranteed by the 14th Amendment. He also opposed the court’s tendency to declare governmental regulation of business unconstitutional. During his term, many state legislatures tried to deal with problems created by the immense growth of industry across the United States. Harlan believed the court should respect laws enacted by these legislatures.
Harlan was born in Boyle County, Kentucky. He attended Centre College and Transylvania University and later practiced law. Although he owned slaves, he served in the Union Army during the Civil War (1861-1865). He served as Kentucky’s attorney general from 1863 to 1867. He was the grandfather of another associate justice of the Supreme Court, who was also named John Marshall Harlan. The grandson served on the court from 1955 to 1971.
