Gibbons vs
Gibbons vs. ogden, 1824Gibbons Vs. Ogden, 1824
The case of Gibbons vs. Ogden was one of the deciding factors in the creation of a stable commercial system that would propel the United States into its current position as a World Power. New York, being influenced by Sectionalist ideals, created a law that obstructed the free flow of interstate trade. This was taken to the Supreme Court, where it was shown that not only did New York claim that the power of its own legislature was supreme to that of the entire nation, but the law was also a threat to the commercial system of the country. The issue of the stability of the Union was at stake - if the court chose to allow the states to have more say than the federal government, the country's internal structure would collapse. However, due to the Negro-Seamen Act in South Carolina and the fear of slaves being freed by an all-powerful Congress, Chief Justice John Marshall was faced with his choice to say that Congress was the supreme power over all commercial aspects would split the country and civil war would ensue. Thus, the court was forced into a "middle of the road" decision-they said that Congress had the power to legislate on the Commerce of the United States, as opposed to direct control. The Supreme Court also said that the New York Steamboat Act was in conflict with the Federal Coasting Act, and thus, the New York law had to be repealed. This decision managed to both protect the interests of the Southern Slavers and save the Nation's Economic structure from the whims of the states, fostering immense growth that would allow America to dominate as a world power.
The situation leading to the hearing of the case in the Supreme Court began when Thomas Gibbons was persecuted by his competitor, Aaron Ogden, because he broke the New York Steamboat Act by navigating the Hudson River without a proper New York License. However, Ogden had the required License, so he was given the free reign of a monopoly after Gibbons was restricted from the New York waterways. Gibbons demanded that the New York License was wholly unnecessary the piloting of ships in New York waters. Gibbons justified this furthermore by stating that he already had a Federal license that met the standards of the Federal Coasting Act. The Federal Coasting Act provided licenses that allowed any boat owner to pilot their "fire and steam" powered boats on any waterway in the nation so long as they had a proper Federal license. Unfortunately, his argument did not hold up and Ogden sued him in New York State Courts. Gibbons lost the case, as it would have been close to impossible for Gibbons to win his point against stubborn and sovereign-minded New York. Having lost his livelihood to the strongheaded New York and the guile of Ogden, he made an appeal to the Supreme Court. The Supreme Court took great...
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