In McCulloch v. Maryland (1819), Marshall declared the second Bank of the United States as constituional and forbade individual states from taxing the bank. During this time, the consitutinality of a national bank was questioned; however, Marshall terminated the debate on this matter as he answered that the Constitution permitted Congress to execute any and all “necessary and proper” measures to properly govern America. Marshall, with his loose Constructionist beliefs, stated that the national bank created a federal power that could manage the American currency, and thus is constitutional. Also, the Supreme Court descision on McCulloch v. Maryland insisted that the government created by the Constitution had a sovereign power that was superior to that of the individual states, and thus the states were not permitted to hamper or interrupt the authority of the federal government. The ruling of McCulloch v. Maryland strengthened the powers given to the federal government by the Consitution and under the strong national government that was promoted through Marshall’s rulings, America could be more centralized and the citizens could feel more dependent on the government, resulting in augmented nationalism. In another Supreme Court …show more content…
While the emphasis on the power of federal government placed by Marshall’s Supreme Court decisions contributed in the increased sense of American nationalism during this period, the two most influential factors impacting nationalism in this period were the death of the Federalist party that led to more unity in politics and the introduction of the American System by Henry Clay which brought forth the national focus on economic development by empowering national industries. Even though these three factors all played a role in impacting American nationalism during this period, Marshall’s Supreme Court ruling did not have the direct effects that the other two constituents had because the judicial decisions only underlined the importance of centralized federal government and economic enhancement, which are already underscored by the other two factors. The sense of American nationalism that was developed in this period still lasts to the present day as Americans feel a strong pride toward their democratic government and status as a leader in global economy. For instance, the United serves as a personification of freedom and liberty for many nations experiencing tyrannical government that wish to transition into democracy. With many nations revolting against a dictatorial government in events such as the Arab