Gibbons v. Ogden (1789)
- Docket
- 22us1
- Decided
- 1789-1850-
Summary
Question: Does the Commerce Clause give Congress authority over interstate navigation? Conclusion: Justice Marshall concluded that regulation of navigation by steamboat operators and others for purposes of conducting interstate commerce was a power reserved to and exercised by the Congress under the Commerce Clause. As interstate navigation fell under interstate commerce, New York could not interfere with it, and the law was therefore invalid. In a concurring opinion, Justice William Johnson argued that the national government had exclusive power over interstate commerce, negating state laws interfering with the exercise of that power. Justice Thompson did not participate in the discussion or decision of the case.