t that gave the national government more power than it had previously had. Even though the power to tax the national government is not denied to the states in Article I, section 10 of the Constitution (restrictions upon powers of the states), John Marshall decided that due to the "necessary and proper" clause it now is. In the decision regarding Gibbons v. Ogden, Marshall ruled that a state can't grant a monopoly when it is related to interstate commerce. This gave supremacy to the national government in issues regarding interstate commerce. Through his interpretation of Article I, Section 8 of the Constitution, John Marshall successfully increased the power of the national government. The 13th, 14th, and 15th Amendments to the Constitution were also sources of power for the national government when it came to its jurisdiction over the states. By passing laws against slavery and allowing "equal protection under the law," the national government gave itself the power to enforce those laws and therefore enhanced authority over the states. The 13th Amendment abolished slavery and in section 2 stated that "Congress shall have the power to enforce this article by appropriate legislation." By adding section 2 to the amendment, Congress was simply ensuring their supremacy over the state governments. Among other things, the 14th Amendment guarantees "equal protection under the law" to all citizens. Since all citizens are guaranteed protection, it is left up to the national government to make sure all citizens are receiving these rights. Even though many thought that the 14th Amendment meant that the Bill of Rights was nationalized, its interpretation by the Supreme Court was much different. Just as in the 13th Amendment, the 14th in section 5 is given the power to enforce the article. The 15th Amendment gave the right to vote to former slaves and says that the right to vote cannot be denied on account of race, color, or previous condition or se...
