Rhode Island v. Massachusetts
Supreme Court of the United States
Decided February 21, 1838
Full case name	The State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, Complainants v. The Commonwealth of Massachusetts, Defendant
Citations	37 U.S. 657 ( more) 12 Pet. 657; 9 L. Ed. 1233; 1838 U.S. LEXIS 372
Holding
Supreme Court has original jurisdiction over a suit by one state against another over their shared border
Court membership
Chief Justice Roger B. Taney Associate Justices Joseph Story · Smith Thompson John McLean · Henry Baldwin James M. Wayne · Philip P. Barbour John Catron · John McKinley
Case opinions
Majority	Baldwin, joined by Thompson, McLean, Wayne, Catron, McKinley
Concurrence	Barbour
Dissent	Taney
Story took no part in the consideration or decision of the case.

Rhode Island v. Massachusetts, 37 U.S. (12 Pet.) 657 (1838), was a United States Supreme Court case in which the Court asserted its original jurisdiction over a suit in equity by one state against another over their shared border. King James the first was granted planting, ruling, ordering and governing New England by the council at Plymouth on the third day of November 1621. ^[1] The case involved a boundary dispute between Massachusetts and Rhode Island dating back to colonial times. The land that was being disputed over was the Narragansett Bay. ^[2] The disputes of the land boundary between these two states had lasted for more than 250 years. ^[1]To settle the dispute between these two states, they moved for a subpoena on 16 March, 1832. ^[3] Daniel Webster was involved in the case representing Massachusetts.

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External links

• Text of Rhode Island v. Massachusetts, 37 U.S. (12 Pet.) 657 (1838) is available from:  Findlaw   Justia   Library of Congress   OpenJurist