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The case McCulloch vs.

Maryland is a landmark case in American history because of the


important precedents it set. The case questioned the power of Congress in areas of commerce and
the states power under the Constitution; it was extremely important because it was the first case
to expand federal power by utilizing the commerce clause and the supremacy clause of the
constitution, setting a standard for interpretation of the constitution in future situations.
Until McCulloch vs. Maryland, Congress implied powers had not yet been tested on a
national stage. In this case, the Supreme Court debated whether or not Congress could
constitutionally charter the Bank of the United States. This power was not an expressed power in
the Constitution, and the Chief Justices decision would shape how the constitution was
interpreted in the future. John Marshall, the Chief Justice, ultimately ruled that the commerce
clause in Article I, Section 8 of the constitution gave Congress powers implied by the expressed
powers. Furthermore, the case questioned whether Maryland, representing each of the states,
could tax the bank, which represented all American people. Marshall ruled, using the supremacy
clause of the constitution and the belief that a single state could not tax a national institution, that
to do so would be to act unconstitutionally.
McCulloch vs. Maryland was so groundbreaking because of the precedents it set. In the
years immediately following ratification of the Constitution and the Bill of Rights, it had not
been decided exactly how much power federal and state governments had, besides the specific
powers listed in the document. For example, Article I, Section 8 was vague when it came to
powers outside of the expressed powers. John Marshalls ruling that the Constitution could be
interpreted more broadly laid the framework for the expansion of the federal governments
power and set it distinctly apart from that under the Articles of Confederation. The commerce
clause, once validated by Marshall, eventually allowed the government to greatly expand its
influence over the economy. Furthermore, the supremacy clause asserted federal power over
state power in all situations where the two are in conflict, strengthening the national government.
McCulloch vs. Maryland ensured that from that point on, the federal government was central to
the country and far removed from the government under the Articles.

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