The Spirit of the Constitution: John Marshall and the 200-Year Odyssey of McCulloch v. Maryland

2019 marks the 200th anniversary of one of the most important Supreme Court decisions in American history: McCulloch v. Maryland. The state of Maryland tried to impede the establishment of the Bank of the United States, but Chief Justice John Marshall decided that the Necessary and Proper clause of the Constitution gave the federal government implied powers that allowed it to charter the bank without hindrance. The decision expanded the power of the national government vis-à-vis the states,...