The Supreme Court case of Gibbons v. Ogden, a key topic in Advanced Placement United States History (APUSH), centered on the question of interstate commerce. Specifically, the 1824 ruling addressed whether the state of New York could grant a monopoly to steamboat operators on waterways that could be used for interstate travel. The case arose when Aaron Ogden, who held a New York state-granted monopoly, sued Thomas Gibbons, who operated a competing steamboat service between New York and New Jersey without such a license.
This landmark decision significantly strengthened the power of the federal government to regulate commerce among the states. The Supreme Court, under Chief Justice John Marshall, ruled that the term “commerce” encompassed navigation and that the power to regulate interstate commerce, granted to Congress by the Commerce Clause of the Constitution, superseded conflicting state laws. This broadened interpretation of the Commerce Clause had a profound impact on the development of the American economy, facilitating interstate trade and promoting national economic integration. It established a precedent for federal regulation of various aspects of the economy, impacting areas far beyond steamboat operations.
