Rhode Island v. Massachusetts

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. The dispute, which had lasted over 200 years, was over Narragansett Bay. To settle the dispute, Rhode Island moved for a subpoena on 16 March, 1832. Daniel Webster represented Massachusetts.