Which activity did Gibbons v. Ogden explicitly protect as under federal regulation?

• A. Navigation
• B. Agriculture
• C. Education
• D. Local zoning

Answer: (A)

This question centers on how far Congress’s power under the Commerce Clause reaches, especially over navigation. Gibbons v. Ogden confirmed that Congress can regulate interstate commerce, and it explicitly treated navigation on waters that cross state lines as part of that commerce. The ruling struck down a state-granted monopoly on steamship travel because regulating interstate navigation is an expression of federal authority, not a matter left to state law.

So the activity protected is navigation, because it involves moving goods and people across state borders and falls under federal regulation. The other options—agriculture, education, and local zoning—are typically governed by state or local authority and were not the focus of this decision.