GIBBONS V OGDEN 9 WHEAT 22 U.S 1 1824 GIBBONS V OGDEN U.S CONSTITUTION U.S GOV'T JUDICIAL BUSINESS/COMMERCE U.S GOVERNMENT AND CONSTITUTION ECONOMY AND LABOR SIGNIFICANCE THIS RULING WAS THE FIRST CASE TO DEAL WITH THE CLAUSE THAT ALLOWS CONGRESS TO REGULATE INTERSTATE AND FOREIGN COMMERCE THIS CASE WAS IMPORTANT BECAUSE IT MADE CLEAR THE DISTRIBUTION OF POWERS BETWEEN THE NATION AND THE STATES BACKGROUND IN 1807 INVENTOR ROBERT FULTON ACQUIRED A MONOPOLY ON STEAM TRAVEL IN NEW YORK STATE'S WATERS STEAMBOAT OPERATORS WHO WANTED TO TRAVEL ON NEW YORK WATERS HAD TO OBTAIN A STATE ISSUED FULTON LIVINGSTON LICENSE THOMAS GIBBONS AN OPERATOR WHO HAD A FEDERAL COASTING LICENSE COMPETED WITH STATE LICENSED AARON OGDEN FOR STEAM TRAVEL BETWEEN NEW JERSEY AND MANHATTAN ALTHOUGH THE NEW YORK COURTS HAD ALWAYS UPHELD THE FULTON MONOPOLY GIBBONS CHALLENGED IT ON APPEAL TO THE SUPREME COURT DECISION THIS CASE WAS ARGUED ON FEBRUARY 4 9 1824 AND DECIDED ON MARCH 2 1824 BY A VOTE OF 6 TO 0 CHIEF JUSTICE JOHN MARSHALL SPOKE FOR THE COURT WITH JUSTICE WILLIAM JOHNSON CONCURRING THE COURT RULED IN FAVOR OF GIBBONS STATING THAT THE CONGRESSIONAL STATUTE GIBBON'S FEDERAL LICENSE TOOK PRIORITY OVER THE STATE STATUTE OGDEN'S STATE MONOPOLY LICENSE THE RULING ALSO DEFINED COMMERCE BROADLY TO INCLUDE PEOPLE AND NEW INVENTIONS SUCH AS THE STEAMBOAT EXCERPT FROM THE OPINION OF THE COURT WE DO NOT FIND IN THE HISTORY OF THE FORMATION AND ADOPTION OF THE CONSTITUTION THAT ANY MAN SPEAKS OF A GENERAL CONCURRENT POWER IN THE REGULATION OF FOREIGN AND DOMESTIC TRADE AS STILL RESIDING IN THE STATES THE VERY OBJECT INTENDED MORE THAN ANY OTHER WAS TO TAKE AWAY SUCH POWER IF IT HAD NOT SO PROVIDED THE CONSTITUTION WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN WORTH ACCEPTING
