Home > Great American Court Cases > Foster v. Neilson

Legal Citation: 27 U.S. 253 (1829)

Petitioners
James Foster, Pleasants Elam

Respondent
David Neilson

Petitioners' Claim
That a grant of land in Spanish West Florida in 1804 was valid under the terms of an 1818 treaty, even though the U.S. government had previously claimed its rights to the land.

Chief Lawyers for Petitioners
Coxe, Webster

Chief Lawyer for Respondent
Jones

Justices for the Court
Gabriel Duvall, William Johnson, John Marshall (writing for the Court), Joseph Story, Smith Thomson, Bushrod Washington

Justices Dissenting
None (John McLean was not yet appointed)

Place
Washington, D.C.

Date of Decision
January 1829

Decision
That the interpretation of treaties respecting national boundaries is a political matter committed to the Congress and the...