In terms of stature - of the debt we owe certain Americans for what they did for this Republic - no one stands taller than George Washington, rightly called the country’s father, and Abraham Lincoln, called its redeemer.
One of those in the next rank is John Marshall who, more than anyone else, shaped, defined the authority, and sent the tone of the US Supreme Court.
Chief Justice Marshall for more than thirty years, delighted in traveling anonymously usually in casual attire. Once, in a hotel tavern, some young men invited him to join their debate on Christianity. For over an hour he calmly deisarmed every arguement brought against the teaching of Jesus. Only after he had left, did they learn who he was.