Gibbons V. Ogden (1824)

The late 1700s and early 1800s was a critical time period in American history in which our newly independent nation was beginning to lay down the groundwork for how the country would run. During this time, America was in its infancy and its crucial first steps would dictate how the nation would either walk, run, or retreat. John Marshall, the fourth Chief Justice of the Unites States, was a highly important and influential political figure whose decisions forever molded the future of the American judicial system. Like many other great political figures, much of John Marshall’s influence can be attributed to timing; he emerged just as the United States Constitution came into existence.

     The recent events in South Carolina made the Supreme Court uneasy, however. Slaves were considered property to be bought and sold by trading in the South. The Southern states felt they could regulate this trade. Yet, the right to regulate commerce and trade was a right reserved for only federal control, not the States, as described in the Constitution. Henceforth, if Marshall and the Supreme Court ruled that Federal Law was supreme to govern interstate commerce in the case of Gibbons, it would also give the Federal Government the right to regulate slavery. Slavery had been the hotly debated issue ever since the country had been formed, and would be its undoing. Marshall knew this. He had to avoid the slavery-based sectionalism, while at the same time ruling that Federal Law was supreme. If he did not correctly leave the States their rights, they would possibly succeed from the

Gibbons v. Ogden was a landmark decision in which the United States Supreme Court held that power to regulate interstate commerce. It was given to congress by the commerce clause of the constitution. It was led by Chief Justice John Marshall. The debate in Gibbons concerned contending cases of adversary steamship establishments. The condition of New York gave Aaron Ogden a select permit to work steamboat ships between New Jersey and New York City on the Hudson River. Thomas Gibbons, another steamboat administrator, ran two ships along the same course. Ogden looked for an order against Gibbons in a New York state court, asserting that the state had issued him elite rights to work the course. Accordingly, Gibbons guaranteed he had the privilege to work on the course in accordance with a 1793 demonstration of Congress directing waterfront business. The New York court found for Ogden and requested Gibbons to stop working his steamships; on bid, the New York Supreme Court avowed the request. Gibbons spoke to the U.S. Preeminent Court, which surveyed the case in 1824. John Marshall ruled for Gibbons, holding that New York 's selective award to Ogden disregarded the government authorizing demonstration of 1793. In coming to its choice, the Court deciphered the Commerce Clause of the U.S. Constitution surprisingly. The proviso peruses that "Congress should have energy to manage trade among the few States." According to the Court, "trade" included articles in

The Marshall Court is regarded as the most important court within the history of the United States. The decision made in several cases changed tribal sovereignty in an unprecedented way. The first of which in 1823, in Johnson vs McIntosh when it was ruled the private individuals could not purchase land from the natives. At the time the decision was in the United States favor as homestead rights were granted soon after the case, but it shaped the rights of natives in future years. The second case in 1831, Cherokee Nation vs Georgia gave the Indian tribes independence and served as a guidance for the federal government to govern natives. The most important decision was made in 1832 in the case of Worcester vs Georgia where

The life of every American citizen, whether they realize it or not, is influenced by one entity--the United States Supreme Court. This part of government ensures that the freedoms of the American people are protected by checking the laws that are passed by Congress and the actions taken by the President. While the judicial branch may have developed later than its counterparts, many of the powers the Supreme Court exercises required years of deliberation to perfect. In the early years of the Supreme Court, one man’s judgement influenced the powers of the court systems for years to come. John Marshall was the chief justice of the Supreme Court from 1801 to 1835, and as the only lasting Federalist influence in a newly Democratic-Republican

That day, the justices honed in on the Fifth Amendment aspects of the case, which pleased John Flynn to no end. The last man to present a position in the case before the court was Thurgood Marshall, whose personal opinions were diametrically opposed to the position of his employer, the U.S. government.

The Marshall Court has left numerous legacies in place in order to help establish this great nation. Chief Justice Marshall was a man that had many impacts on our Government from strengthening the authority of the Supreme Court in Marbury v. Madison, which gave the courts judicial review, to Gibbons v. Ogden, which gave the national government undeniable power over interstate commerce by ruling a New York steamboat monopoly invalid. There were many other cases as well that were important to the government’s growth; such as Fletcher v. Peck that made it where a state law can never overthrow anything that came against the Federal Constitution. Chief Justice Marshall presided over many cases and ruled over such cases in a way that he felt would benefit the ever growing American nation. Through it all he helped establish three legacies; helping to make the federal government supreme over all things that would control the economy, he also helped to open the pathway where there’s an increased federal part to be played in economic growth, and finally in an effort to further any and all new industrial capitalist economy, he helped to make permanent protection for corporations and private businesses so that the states couldn’t interfere. These legacies helped to establish a better American nation in more ways that we can know. A key part of all of this

One of the most important contributions he made for the Supreme Court was the concept of judicial review. After the case of Marbury vs. Madison, the Supreme Court was given the power to review laws, and court cases in order to determine whether a law or case was constitutional. John Marshall also extended the power of the Supreme Court to cover all matters not explicitly mentioned to be governed in the state. In short, he created most of the power that is invested in the Supreme Court today.

If Marshall’s actions were iconic, then after the Marbury v. Madison case, he would have been credited with the creation of judicial review. In reality, Marshall’s decision of allowing the courts to review the decisions of the legislative and executive branches was seen “as only a step in the continuous clarification of the theory of judicial function”(Clinton 117). So this supposed creator of a pivotal Judicial component was only seen as a stepping stone. Through the remainder of Marshall’s career as Chief Justice, no one revisited his thoughts on the Marbury v. Madison case, until his successor, Roger Taney, did in Dred Scott v. Sanford. Roger Taney seemed to have the same viewpoints as Marshall, always trying to keep the checks and balances intact and equal. He kept this dedication through the Dred Scott v. Sandford case, using judicial review to rule the Missouri Compromise of 1820 unconstitutional. Strangely, “Marbury’s importance as a precedent for judicial review of legislation was never mentioned by the Court”(Clinton 119). If Marbury v. Madison was such a pivotal case, then it would

The Court’s final decision was unanimous and it denied Marbury’s request for the writ of mandamus. Marbury never received his appointment. This case is significant because it established the concept of judicial review. The Constitution does not specifically grant the judiciary this power. Judicial review allows federal courts to review laws and determine if they are constitutional or not. This gives the judiciary the power to void any laws that are found to violate any part of the Constitution. Therefore, Chief Justice John Marshall ruled that the portion of the Judiciary Act of 1789 that gave the federal courts the authority to hear mandamus cases was unconstitutional. Ironically, Chief Justice Marshall is the person who was the Secretary of State under Adams that sealed Marbury’s appointment.

This decision essentially allowed for the Judicial Branch to be on a more even level of power between the Legislative and Executive branches. John Marshall faced the court with an argument that stated some acts of Congress are unconstitutional which are not binded to the courts. The Judicial Branch has a priority to stand by the Constitution, which can be difficult at times for those members when Congress passed a law that was unconstitutional. John Adams and his Federalists colleagues did everything they could to stay in power. One idea to keep their power was to expand the number of judges in the Federal Judiciary. They passed The Midnight Judges Act which allowed for people to be a judge in the unreasonable hours of the night. Once Jefferson

The Supreme Court grained significant power under Chief Justice John Marshall. Prior to Justice Marshall’s tenure, the Supreme Court had never challenged an act of Congress. The Constitution did not clarify whether or not the Court had the power to do so. Chief

By making it so that justices are appointed by the president, not elected by the public, justices are detached from the favoritism of the majority. This method was designed to “protect them against unwarranted interference from either the legislative or executive branch” and accordingly, justices have been able to act outside the sphere of regular political influence (constitution.laws.com). John Marshall, the Fourth Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, proved this with his decisions on many court cases, especially on the well-known Marbury vs. Madison which established the idea of judicial review. Though the president at the time of the case was Thomas Jefferson, who believed that state power should have been stronger than federal power, Marshall stood firm on his belief that the Supreme Court had the power to void laws that were considered unconstitutional, even ones that were passed by Congress. While Jefferson and his administration considered Adams’s midnight appointments to be invalid, Marshall decreed that Marbury was treated unfairly by the law. Although the Supreme Court could not give Marbury his position as it was considered outside the Court’s jurisdiction, the justice’s active and role in defining the Court’s authority and independence despite the opinions of the executive branch set the precedent for future

The court was under the rule of John Marshall the chief justice. The Supreme Court explained the issues in New York, and this expanded the power of the national government. Seemingly, the court was able to settle the problems during the cases of McCulloch v. Maryland and Gibbons v. Ogden. The Marshall’s push for the federal government was to help in the development of his court and the nation. The Marshall argued that it was the responsibility of the Supreme Court to define the law. Thereby, giving the Supreme Court more meaning in the decision making of the judicial department. Consequently, strengthening the legal authority of the nation helped in the improvement of the

In 1807, Aaron Ogden purchased exclusive rights to operate steamboats between New York City and New Jersey from Mr Fulton and Mr Livingston. These exclusive rights had been granted by the state of New York. When Thomas Gibbons operated steamboats in Ogden’s route in 1819, Ogden sued Gibbons. This case eventually went to the Supreme Court .