From 1801 to 1835, the Marshall Court consisted of six to seven Associate Supreme Court Justices and Chief Justice John Marshall. He was part of the “Midnight Judges” appointed by John Adams on the last day of his presidency, in an attempt for the Federalists to dominate the judicial branch. Marshall was one of the last remaining Federalists involved with the government and his influence on certain cases lasted much longer than the Federalist Party itself. The Marshall Court increased the power of the federal government in terms of the meaning of a contract, the power of the federal government versus the power of the state government, and the regulation of interstate commerce. This became apparent in the Supreme Court’s rulings on Dartmouth
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Woodward, New Hampshire had attempted to take over Dartmouth College by revising its colonial charter. Daniel Webster, on behalf of the trustees, argued that the New Hampshire statutes violated the Constitution by impairing their contractual rights. The Marshall Court ruled that the charter was protected under the contract clause of the U. S. Constitution, which upholds the sanctity of contracts. As a result, Dartmouth College remained a private institute and New Hampshire, along with other states, began to create its own public universities. The ruling soon became important to the economic history of the United States. The contract clause provided no exceptions with respect to private, nonprofit entities, but the case provided a protection for owners and management interests and a climate of legal stability that promoted economic growth. In accordance with Justice John Marshall’s belief in a strong central government, the decision said that states were not permitted to take over private institutions and make them public. The majority opinion by Marshall clarified that the term "contract" referred to transactions involving individual property rights, not to "the political relations between the government and its citizens." In doing so, the Court protected all corporations, which promoted growth of the national economy. Corporations generally attract investors, employ workers, and add to the national …show more content…
Ogden, Aaron Ogden felt that his monopoly rights to steamboat navigation (granted to him by New York) were being infringed by Thomas Gibbons, who obtained a license from the federal government. It was a suit over whether New York could grant a monopoly to a ferry operating on interstate waters. The ruling of the Marshall Court reasserted that Congress had the sole power to regulate interstate commerce as soon as a state’s boundary line had been crossed. In the majority opinion, John Marshall explained that navigation should be considered part of commerce so the same reasoning could be applied to all the states, which must yield to the Constitution under the Supremacy Clause. He 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. A later Supreme Court Justice named Robert Jackson commended Marshall for clearly restating Congress’ right to regulate commerce in his majority opinion of Gibbons v. Ogden. In fact, the case vastly expanded the powers of Congress and the federal government through a single clause in the Constitution: the Commerce Clause of Article I. The ruling was consistent with Marshall’s other decisions, such as Dartmouth College v. Woodward and McCulloch v. Maryland, and it implied that Congress and the federal government have the ultimate say in issues within or between the
Woodward, New Hampshire had attempted to take over Dartmouth College by revising its colonial charter. Daniel Webster, on behalf of the trustees, argued that the New Hampshire statutes violated the Constitution by impairing their contractual rights. The Marshall Court ruled that the charter was protected under the contract clause of the U. S. Constitution, which upholds the sanctity of contracts. As a result, Dartmouth College remained a private institute and New Hampshire, along with other states, began to create its own public universities. The ruling soon became important to the economic history of the United States. The contract clause provided no exceptions with respect to private, nonprofit entities, but the case provided a protection for owners and management interests and a climate of legal stability that promoted economic growth. In accordance with Justice John Marshall’s belief in a strong central government, the decision said that states were not permitted to take over private institutions and make them public. The majority opinion by Marshall clarified that the term "contract" referred to transactions involving individual property rights, not to "the political relations between the government and its citizens." In doing so, the Court protected all corporations, which promoted growth of the national economy. Corporations generally attract investors, employ workers, and add to the national …show more content…
Ogden, Aaron Ogden felt that his monopoly rights to steamboat navigation (granted to him by New York) were being infringed by Thomas Gibbons, who obtained a license from the federal government. It was a suit over whether New York could grant a monopoly to a ferry operating on interstate waters. The ruling of the Marshall Court reasserted that Congress had the sole power to regulate interstate commerce as soon as a state’s boundary line had been crossed. In the majority opinion, John Marshall explained that navigation should be considered part of commerce so the same reasoning could be applied to all the states, which must yield to the Constitution under the Supremacy Clause. He 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. A later Supreme Court Justice named Robert Jackson commended Marshall for clearly restating Congress’ right to regulate commerce in his majority opinion of Gibbons v. Ogden. In fact, the case vastly expanded the powers of Congress and the federal government through a single clause in the Constitution: the Commerce Clause of Article I. The ruling was consistent with Marshall’s other decisions, such as Dartmouth College v. Woodward and McCulloch v. Maryland, and it implied that Congress and the federal government have the ultimate say in issues within or between the