McCulloch v. Maryland

The above video was produced by PBS under contract from the United States Judicial Conference in 1976 as part of the bicentennial celebrations.

Maryland in 1818 attempted to tax notes of all banks not chartered in Maryland.  The tax was an attempt to impede the operation of the Second Bank of the United States in Maryland.  James McCulloch, branch manager of the Baltimore branch of the Second Bank of the United States refused to pay the tax.  The Maryland courts found that since the Constitution did not grant the Congress authority to charter a Bank, the Second Bank of the United States was unconstitutional.

On appeal to the US Supreme Court, John Marshall wrote the opinion of the Court finding that Congress had the authority to charter the Bank and that Maryland could not impede the operation of the Bank.