Which case helped establish the federal government's power to regulate interstate commerce (a precursor to federal authority)?

• A. McCulloch v. Maryland (1819)
• B. Gibbons v. Ogden (1824)
• C. Worcester v. Georgia (1832)
• D. Dred Scott v. Sandford (1857)

Answer: (B)

Interstate commerce power is the authority to regulate trade and navigation that crosses state lines. Gibbons v. Ogden settled that Congress has broad power to regulate interstate commerce, and that this includes not just goods but the movement of people and transportation that connect states. In this case, the Court ruled that a federal license to operate steamboats between states overrides a state-granted monopoly, because activities that cross state boundaries fall under federal regulation. This decision expanded federal authority and established that federal law governs interstate commerce when states clash with national interests.

Other cases touch on different issues: McCulloch v. Maryland deals with federal supremacy and implied powers in creating a national bank, Worcester v. Georgia concerns Native American sovereignty, and Dred Scott v. Sandford addresses citizenship and slavery. While foundational in their own right, they do not establish the interstate commerce power in the way Gibbons v. Ogden does.