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{{short description|Nickname for certain members of US Supreme Court}}
{{about|three liberal Supreme Court Justices||The Three Musketeers (disambiguation)}}
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The "'''Three Musketeers'''" was the nickname given to three liberal members during the 1932–37 terms of the [[United States Supreme Court]], who generally supported the [[New Deal]] agenda of [[President of the United States|President]] [[Franklin Delano Roosevelt]]. They were [[Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States|Justices]] [[Louis Brandeis]], [[Benjamin N. Cardozo]], and [[Harlan Fiske Stone]].<ref>White, at 81.</ref> They were opposed by the [[Four Horsemen (Supreme Court)|Four Horsemen]], consisting of Justices [[James Clark McReynolds]], [[George Sutherland]], [[Willis Van Devanter]], and [[Pierce Butler (justice)|Pierce Butler]]. [[Chief Justice of the United States|Chief Justice]] [[Charles Evans Hughes]] and Justice [[Owen J. Roberts]] controlled the balance. Charles Evans Hughes often swayed to the liberal side while Owen J. Roberts sided with the conservatives. With the help of Roberts the Four Horsemen controlled most of the decisions which led to them striking down many new deal laws as unconstitutional.<ref>{{Cite web|title=U.S. Supreme Court Archives|url=http://www.davidmeyercreations.com/tag/u-s-supreme-court/|website=DAVID MEYER|language=en-US|access-date=2020-05-21}}</ref>
The "'''Three Musketeers'''" was the nickname given to three liberal members during the 1932–37 terms of the [[United States Supreme Court]], who generally supported the [[New Deal]] agenda of [[President of the United States|President]] [[Franklin Delano Roosevelt]]. They were [[Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States|Justices]] [[Louis Brandeis]], [[Benjamin N. Cardozo]], and [[Harlan Fiske Stone]].<ref>White, at 81.</ref> They were opposed by the "[[Four Horsemen (Supreme Court)|Four Horsemen]]", consisting of Justices [[James Clark McReynolds]], [[George Sutherland]], [[Willis Van Devanter]], and [[Pierce Butler (justice)|Pierce Butler]]. [[Chief Justice of the United States|Chief Justice]] [[Charles Evans Hughes]] and Justice [[Owen J. Roberts]] controlled the balance. Charles Evans Hughes often voted with the liberal wing while Owen J. Roberts voted with the conservatives. With the help of Roberts, the Four Horsemen maintained a majority in most of the decisions and struck down many New Deal laws as unconstitutional.<ref>{{Cite web|title=U.S. Supreme Court Archives|url=http://www.davidmeyercreations.com/tag/u-s-supreme-court/|website=DAVID MEYER|language=en-US|access-date=2020-05-21}}</ref> Although the "Three Musketeers" were a bipartisan group, with Stone being a Republican, they were drawn together by their shared views on New Deal policies.<ref name=nicknames>{{Cite web|title=The Four Horsemen vs. The Three Musketeers: When the Supreme Court Had Awesome Names for Their Factions|url=https://fascinatingpolitics.com/2018/04/11/the-four-horsemen-vs-the-three-musketeers-when-the-supreme-court-had-awesome-names-for-its-factions/|last=fascinatingpolitics|date=2018-04-11|website=Mad Politics: The Bizarre, Fascinating, and Unknown of American Political History|language=en|access-date=2020-05-29}}</ref>


During the 1935 term, the Four Horsemen would often ride together to and from Court in order to coordinate their positions. To counter them, the Three Musketeers started meeting at Brandeis's apartment on Friday afternoons. However, the Four Horsemen held sway, leading to Roosevelt's [[Judiciary Reorganization Bill of 1937|court-packing scheme]]. In 1937, in the "[[The switch in time that saved nine|switch in time that saved nine]]," Roberts and Hughes switched to the liberal side in several key decisions. The most important decision being [[West Coast Hotel Co. v. Parrish|West Coast Hotel V. Parrish]] which was a decision regarding the minimum wage of workers. Normally Roberts voted to veto these laws however he switched his vote because he feared the court-packing scheme. Within a year, Van Devanter and Sutherland retired to be replaced by [[Hugo Black]] and [[Stanley Forman Reed|Stanley Reed]], strong New Dealers. This ended the Four Horsemen's sway. By 1941, Brandeis, Cardozo, Butler, McReynolds, and Hughes were also gone. Only Stone and Roberts remained, and by then Stone had been elevated to the position of Chief Justice.
During the 1935 term, the Four Horsemen would often ride (in a car) together to and from the Court to coordinate their positions. To counter them, the Three Musketeers started meeting at Brandeis's apartment on Friday afternoons. However, the Four Horsemen held sway, leading to Roosevelt's [[Judiciary Reorganization Bill of 1937|court-packing scheme]]. In 1937, in the "[[The switch in time that saved nine|switch in time that saved nine]]," Roberts and Hughes switched to the liberal side in several key decisions, the most important one being ''[[West Coast Hotel Co. v. Parrish]]'', a case regarding the minimum wage of workers.<ref>{{Cite web|title=When Franklin Roosevelt Clashed with the Supreme Court and Lost|url=https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/when-franklin-roosevelt-clashed-with-the-supreme-court-and-lost-78497994/|website=Smithsonian Magazine|language=en|access-date=2020-05-22}}</ref> Within a year, Van Devanter and Sutherland retired and were replaced by [[Hugo Black]] and [[Stanley Forman Reed|Stanley Reed]], strong New Dealers, ending the Four Horsemen's sway. By 1941, Brandeis, Cardozo, Butler, McReynolds, and Hughes were also gone. Only Stone and Roberts remained, and by then Stone had been elevated to the position of Chief Justice.


The Three Musketeers were successful in many cases. They often were able to convince the swing voters, Charles Evans Hughes and Owen Roberts, to vote for new deal ideas. The Three musketeers were able to uphold many new deal laws such as the Gold Confiscation Act of 1934, [[Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938|The Fair Labor Standards Act]], the [[Tennessee Valley Authority v. Hill|Tennessee Valley Authority]] and [[Social Security Act|Social Security.]] They persuaded members of the Four Horsemen to vote to uphold new deal legislation occasionally.<ref>{{Cite web|title=The Four Horsemen vs. The Three Musketeers: When the Supreme Court Had Awesome Names for Their Factions|url=https://fascinatingpolitics.com/2018/04/11/the-four-horsemen-vs-the-three-musketeers-when-the-supreme-court-had-awesome-names-for-its-factions/|last=fascinatingpolitics|date=2018-04-11|website=Mad Politics: The Bizarre, Fascinating, and Unknown of American Political History|language=en|access-date=2020-05-21}}</ref>
The Three Musketeers were successful in many cases. They often convinced the swing voters, Charles Evans Hughes and Owen Roberts, to vote for New Deal policies. The Three Musketeers were able to uphold many New Deal laws such as the [[Gold Reserve Act]] (in the ''[[Gold Clause Cases]]''), [[Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938|The Fair Labor Standards Act]] (in ''[[United States v. Darby Lumber Co.]]''), the [[Tennessee Valley Authority]] (in ''[[Ashwander v. Tennessee Valley Authority]]'') and the [[Social Security Act]] (in ''[[Steward Machine Co. v. Davis]]'' and ''[[Helvering v. Davis]]''). They persuaded members of the Four Horsemen to vote to uphold New Deal legislation occasionally.<ref name=nicknames/>


==References==
==References==
===Sources===
===Sources===
* {{cite book|last=White |first=G. Edward |title=The Constitution and the New Deal |publisher=[[Harvard University Press]] |date=2000 |location=Cambridge, MA |pages=385 |isbn=978-0-674-00831-1}}
* {{cite book|last=White |first=G. Edward |title=The Constitution and the New Deal |url=https://archive.org/details/constitutionnewd00whit |url-access=limited |publisher=[[Harvard University Press]] |date=2000 |location=Cambridge, MA |pages=[https://archive.org/details/constitutionnewd00whit/page/n396 385] |isbn=978-0-674-00831-1}}


===Notes===
{{reflist|2}}
{{reflist|2}}


{{DEFAULTSORT:Three Musketeers}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Three Musketeers}}
[[Category:Justices of the Supreme Court of the United States|*]]
[[Category:Justices of the Supreme Court of the United States|3]]
[[Category:Trios]]
[[Category:Trios]]
[[Category:Liberalism in the United States]]
[[Category:Liberalism in the United States]]
[[Category:Constitutional challenges to the New Deal|*]]
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{{US-hist-stub}}

Latest revision as of 00:03, 16 December 2024

The Three Musketeers of the U.S. Supreme Court

The "Three Musketeers" was the nickname given to three liberal members during the 1932–37 terms of the United States Supreme Court, who generally supported the New Deal agenda of President Franklin Delano Roosevelt. They were Justices Louis Brandeis, Benjamin N. Cardozo, and Harlan Fiske Stone.[1] They were opposed by the "Four Horsemen", consisting of Justices James Clark McReynolds, George Sutherland, Willis Van Devanter, and Pierce Butler. Chief Justice Charles Evans Hughes and Justice Owen J. Roberts controlled the balance. Charles Evans Hughes often voted with the liberal wing while Owen J. Roberts voted with the conservatives. With the help of Roberts, the Four Horsemen maintained a majority in most of the decisions and struck down many New Deal laws as unconstitutional.[2] Although the "Three Musketeers" were a bipartisan group, with Stone being a Republican, they were drawn together by their shared views on New Deal policies.[3]

During the 1935 term, the Four Horsemen would often ride (in a car) together to and from the Court to coordinate their positions. To counter them, the Three Musketeers started meeting at Brandeis's apartment on Friday afternoons. However, the Four Horsemen held sway, leading to Roosevelt's court-packing scheme. In 1937, in the "switch in time that saved nine," Roberts and Hughes switched to the liberal side in several key decisions, the most important one being West Coast Hotel Co. v. Parrish, a case regarding the minimum wage of workers.[4] Within a year, Van Devanter and Sutherland retired and were replaced by Hugo Black and Stanley Reed, strong New Dealers, ending the Four Horsemen's sway. By 1941, Brandeis, Cardozo, Butler, McReynolds, and Hughes were also gone. Only Stone and Roberts remained, and by then Stone had been elevated to the position of Chief Justice.

The Three Musketeers were successful in many cases. They often convinced the swing voters, Charles Evans Hughes and Owen Roberts, to vote for New Deal policies. The Three Musketeers were able to uphold many New Deal laws such as the Gold Reserve Act (in the Gold Clause Cases), The Fair Labor Standards Act (in United States v. Darby Lumber Co.), the Tennessee Valley Authority (in Ashwander v. Tennessee Valley Authority) and the Social Security Act (in Steward Machine Co. v. Davis and Helvering v. Davis). They persuaded members of the Four Horsemen to vote to uphold New Deal legislation occasionally.[3]

References

[edit]

Sources

[edit]
  • White, G. Edward (2000). The Constitution and the New Deal. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press. pp. 385. ISBN 978-0-674-00831-1.
  1. ^ White, at 81.
  2. ^ "U.S. Supreme Court Archives". DAVID MEYER. Retrieved 2020-05-21.
  3. ^ a b fascinatingpolitics (2018-04-11). "The Four Horsemen vs. The Three Musketeers: When the Supreme Court Had Awesome Names for Their Factions". Mad Politics: The Bizarre, Fascinating, and Unknown of American Political History. Retrieved 2020-05-29.
  4. ^ "When Franklin Roosevelt Clashed with the Supreme Court – and Lost". Smithsonian Magazine. Retrieved 2020-05-22.