essment
"The subject to be regulated is commerce, and... it becomes necessary to settle the meaning
of the word. The counsel for the appellee [party appealing to a higher court] would limit it to
traffic, to buying and selling, or the interchange of commodities, and do not admit that it
comprehends [includes] navigation.... All America understands, and has uniformly
understood, the word "commerce" to comprehend navigation. It was so understood, and must
have been so understood, when the Constitution was framed....
The word "among' means intermingled with. A thing which is among others is intermingled
with them. Commerce among the States cannot stop at the external boundary line of each
State, but may be introduced into the interior."
-Chief Justice John Marshall, opinion of the court, Gibbons v Ogden (1824)
Use the excerpt to answer the question.
2. Which of the following best summarizes this excerpt from John Marshall's opinion? (1 point)
O The definition of commerce is differently interpreted by each state.
O The most important area involving commerce is in securing the national economy.
O The buying and selling of goods across state borders ought to fall under stricter laws.
The transportation and navigation of goods is part of the constitutional definition of commerce.