Question

"The genius and character of the whole government seem to be that its action is to be applied to all the external concerns of the nation and to those internal concerns which affect the states generally; but not to those which are completely within a particular state, which do not affect other states, and with which it is not necessary to interfere for the purpose of executing some of the general powers of the government. The completely internal commerce of a state, then, may be considered as reserved for the state itself."
—Gibbons v. Ogden, 1824

Why did the ruling in Gibbons v. Ogden cause concern for many Americans?
A.
The federal government gave control of interstate commerce to the states
B.
The federal government upheld the rights of one state but not the other.
C.
The federal government refused to get involved in conflicts between states.
D.
The federal government asserted its authority over the states.

Answer 1

D

The Court (Chief Justice Marshall) interpreted the Commerce Clause to give the federal government broad power over interstate commerce, effectively limiting states' authority to regulate commerce that crossed state lines. Many Americans feared this expansion of federal power over the states.