Gibbons v. Ogden
Gibbons v. Ogden, 22 U.S. (9 Wheat.) 1 (1824), is a landmark decision of the United States Supreme Court.
New York granted Robert Fulton and Robert Livingston a monopoly on steamboat navigation in state waters. They licensed Ogden to operate ferries between New York and New Jersey. Gibbons, operating under a federal coasting license, competed with Ogden. Ogden obtained an injunction, and Gibbons appealed.
Significance
Chief Justice Marshall broadly defined Congress’s power under the Commerce Clause to include all commercial intercourse between states, including navigation. The decision struck down a state-granted monopoly that conflicted with federal law, establishing the supremacy of federal commerce regulation. Marshall’s broad interpretation of ‘commerce among the states’ laid the foundation for expansive federal regulatory power that would be fully realized in the 20th century.
Category
US Federal Case Law