| Litigants: | Rhode Island v. Massachusetts |
| Decidedate: | February 21 |
| Decideyear: | 1838 |
| Fullname: | The State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, Complainants v. The Commonwealth of Massachusetts, Defendant |
| Usvol: | 37 |
| Uspage: | 657 |
| Parallelcitations: | 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 |
| Majority: | Baldwin |
| Joinmajority: | Thompson, McLean, Wayne, Catron, McKinley |
| Concurrence: | Barbour |
| Dissent: | Taney |
| Notparticipating: | Story |
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, a boundary dispute between Massachusetts and Rhode Island dating to colonial times.
James I had granted the original charter in November 1621.[1] The dispute, which had lasted over 200 years, was over Narragansett Bay.[2] To settle the dispute, Rhode Island moved for a subpoena on 16 March, 1832.[3] Daniel Webster represented Massachusetts.
The Court determined that the compact between the two colonies made in 1711-1718 should govern the boundary line between the states, and therefore confirmed the existing boundary line, rejecting Rhode Island's interpretation of the colonial charters, which would have put the border further into Massachusetts.