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1789 THE U.S. MARSHALS September 24, 1789, New York City, New York - The Judiciary Act of 1789 is signed into law by President George Washington, officially establishing the U.S. Marshals Service. This act created the federal judicial system, including the position of Marshal for each federal court, making the Marshals the first federal law enforcement agency. 1896 1794 1794 THE U.S. MARSHALS January 11, 1794, Augusta, Georgia - The murder of Robert Forsyth in Georgia is the first recorded death of a U.S. Marshal in the line of duty. This event underscores the dangerous nature of the work undertaken by U.S. Marshals and their deputies from the earliest years of the service. 1789 1850 1850 THE U.S. MARSHALS September 1850, Various Locations, United States - The Fugitive Slave Act of 1850 tasked U.S. Marshals with enforcing the return of escaped slaves, placing them at the heart of the nation's intensifying pre-Civil War tensions. This role highlighted the complex and controversial position of federal law enforcement in the contentious issue of slavery. 1794 1894 1894 THE U.S. MARSHALS July 1894, Chicago, Illinois - During the Pullman Strike, U.S. Marshals were deployed to break up the railroad workers' strike against the Pullman Company, which had drastically reduced wages. Their involvement underscored the federal government's readiness to intervene in labor disputes. 1850 1896 1896 April 25, 1896, Washington, D.C. - The U.S. Supreme Court's decision in "In re Neagle" affirms the authority of U.S. Marshals to act in the protection of federal officials. This decision is a pivotal moment in defining the scope of the Marshals' duties and underscores their role in ensuring the safety of federal officials, marking a significant evolution in their responsibilities. THE U.S. MARSHALS 1894 1789

IN SEARCH OF THE U.S. MARSHALS



In Search of the U.S. Marshals chronicles the first century of America’s oldest federal law enforcement officers—men tasked with turning the fragile ideals of the Constitution into enforceable law.


Created with the establishment of the role of U.S. Marshal under the Judiciary Act of 1789, these officers quickly became the living instruments of federal authority—enforcing congressional statutes, executing presidential orders, and carrying out judicial rulings, often amid fierce conflict between the branches of government they served.


As the republic expanded, marshals carried federal power into a volatile and divided nation: conducting the first national census, quelling frontier insurrections, enforcing controversial laws such as the Fugitive Slave Acts and the Chinese Exclusion Act, and standing at the center of constitutional crises where their authority—and the reach of federal law itself—was tested in cases like Worcester v. Georgia and Ex parte Merryman.


Beyond the courtrooms and capitals, marshals rode into the unsettled territories of the West, policing immigration, safeguarding neutrality, and confronting violence in a landscape where the line between law and survival was often perilously thin.


By the end of the 19th century, the marshals stood at another crossroads—summoned not just to enforce federal mandates, but to mediate the deepening tensions between labor, capital, and a rapidly transforming American society.


Created with the participation of the U.S. Marshals Service and the U.S. Marshals Museum, In Search of the U.S. Marshals explores the evolution of the marshal’s office as an instrument of federal power, charting its role in balancing the ideals of constitutional governance against the limits of law enforcement.


Join us as we go in search of the U.S. Marshals.

CAST & CREW

Learn about our contributing scholars and our team

David Turk

Interviewee

David Kennedy

Interviewee

Bill O'Neal

Interviewee

Mark Boardman

Interviewee

Jim Spears

Interviewee

Bob Ernst

Interviewee

Robert DeArment

Interviewee

Dana Celeste Robinson

Director/Producer

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