At that time, Washington was a general. When Marshall became 20, the American Revolution began. He joined the local militia as an officer. He was appointed lieutenant in Culpeper Minutemen. The militia achieved victory against the British Royal Army at the Battle of Great Bridge, freeing Virginia from British rule. Because of that victory, John became an officer with the Continental Army’s 3rd Regiment. He fought in the Battle of Brandywine. He got wounded in the hand while leading a charge at the Battle of Germantown. Marshall also fought at Valley Forge, where George Washington appointed him as his chief legal …show more content…
Ogden (1824) was a very fundamental case John Marshall heard as Chief Justice. A New York state law gave to individuals the exclusive right to operate steamboats on waters within state jurisdiction. Aaron Ogden an exclusive license to operate steamboat ferries between New Jersey and New York City on the Hudson River. Thomas Gibbons, another steamboat operator, ran two ferries along the same route. Ogden sought an injunction against Gibbons in a New York state court, claiming that the state had given him exclusive rights to operate the route. In response, Gibbons claimed he had the right to operate on the route pursuant to a 1793 act of Congress regulating coastal commerce. The New York court found for Ogden and ordered Gibbons to cease operating his steamships; on appeal, the New York Supreme Court affirmed the order. Gibbons appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court. The Supreme Court had to answer did New York exercise authority in a realm reserved exclusively to Congress. The Court ruled for Gibbons, holding that New York 's exclusive grant to Ogden violated the Federal Licensing Act of 1793. They also brought in the Commerce Clause in the Constitution. According to the Court, the word "commerce" included not just articles in interstate trade but also the "intercourse" among the states, including navigation. Chief Justice John Marshall concluded that regulation of navigation by steamboat operators and others for purposes of conducting interstate commerce was a power