Which court case established the supremacy clause?

The supremacy clause, which is found in Article VI of the U.S. Constitution, establishes that federal law takes precedence over state law when there is a conflict between the two. McCulloch v. Maryland is the significant court case that affirmed this principle. In this landmark decision, the Supreme Court ruled that states could not tax the federal government, specifically the Second Bank of the United States, which underscored the idea that the federal government has implied powers derived from the Constitution.

The ruling clarified the relationship between state and federal governments and reinforced the authority of federal laws. The case demonstrated that the Constitution provided the federal government with powers beyond those explicitly enumerated in the document, as long as those powers served a legitimate constitutional purpose. This interpretation contributes to understanding the supremacy of federal law and cements the importance of the supremacy clause in maintaining the balance of power between state and federal authorities.

This context highlights the foundational role of McCulloch v. Maryland in establishing the principle of federal supremacy, making it the correct response to the question regarding the case that established the supremacy clause.