Gibbons v. Ogden (1824)

1) Link to the Actual Opinion
Read the U.S. Reports opinion (PDF)

2) Summary of the Opinion
New York granted an exclusive steamboat monopoly to operate in its waters. The Supreme Court ruled that the federal government’s power under the Commerce Clause trumped the state-granted monopoly.

3) Why It Mattered
The decision gave a broad interpretation of “commerce among the states” and affirmed that Congress has the final say over interstate commerce.