Thomas Gibbons won the case Gibbons v. Ogden in 1824 because he

The Supreme Court ruled that Congress has the power to regulate interstate commerce. Gibbons operated a steamboat under a federal coastal license, while Ogden relied on an exclusive New York state-granted license. Because federal law took precedence over conflicting state rules, Gibbons could operate under his federal license; the correct choice is “held a federal license to do business.”

AI-written and checked against the verified answer.