Ogden vs. Gibbons was a controversial court case that was debated in 1824 after Aaron Ogden filed a restraint against Thomas Gibbons. Ogden and Gibbons were former business partners in the steamboat industry and for three years they successfully worked together throughout waterways in New York. Unfortunately Gibbons decided to operate another steamboat that came in conflict with Ogden’s steamboat and this is when Ogden filed a restraint against Gibbons. Ogden’s complaint was that he no longer wanted Gibbons to operate steamboats in New York waters. This was an important court case because the court had to figure out who had the power to control navigation in interstate waterways. This court case focused on the Commerce Clause in Article …show more content…
Ogden (1824)). The Court continued to review this case in great detail. Section 8 of Article 1 could be interpreted in many different ways and they wanted to be sure that the ruling would be fair not only to Ogden and Gibbons but to other steamboat operators as well. Chief Justice John Marshall ultimately decided that Congress had the power to regulate commerce in interstate waterways because if each state made its own rules, it would be almost impossible to trade in the waterways. Politically, this court case made it easier for similar incidents to be ruled fairly. Congress was able to make this ruling under the necessary and proper clause which allowed it “to carry out lex Moore 10/12/14 Bill of Rights Essay its enumerated power to ‘regulate commerce…among the several states’” (Landmark Supreme Court Cases – Gibbons v. Ogden (1824)). Culturally, the decision helped steamboat operators be able to understand what they were allowed to do and who would be in charge for any punishment should that ever be needed. Many reactions to the Ogden vs Gibbons case were very positive. There were more steamboat operators just in New York’s waterways alone. Many found it to be in their