Final answer:
The Supreme Court case Gibbons v. Ogden (1824) significantly influenced the scope of federal power, specifically regarding interstate commerce, by determining that Congress had the sole authority to regulate navigation between states, overriding state legislation that granted monopolies for such trade.
Step-by-step explanation:
The landmark Supreme Court case Gibbons v. Ogden addressed the critical issue of interstate commerce and the reach of federal power. This 1824 decision arose from a conflict over steamboat ferry operations between New York and New Jersey, pitting two operators, Thomas Gibbons, who held a federal coasting license, against Aaron Ogden, who had a state-granted monopoly. The case reached the Supreme Court where Chief Justice John Marshall issued a two-part decision that vastly expanded the interpretation of congressional power under the Commerce Clause. Marshall ruled that interstate commerce encompassed all forms of commercial intercourse between states, thus affirming that Congress, not states, had the authority to regulate such activities, including navigation. This decision effectively made the New York law granting exclusive ferry rights unconstitutional, as it conflicted with federal law—the Licensing Act of 1793.
This case, along with others such as McCulloch v. Maryland, bolstered the view of a strong national government and its role in promoting economic development by supporting a broad interpretation of federal powers in relation to the states.