Chouteau v. United States was a United States Supreme Court case that dealt with the issue of whether the United States had the right to tax the Chouteau family's trading post in Indian Territory. The Chouteau family had been trading with the Osage Indians since 1802, and had established a trading post in Indian Territory in 1822. The United States had passed a law in 1868 that imposed a tax on all trading posts in Indian Territory, and the Chouteau family argued that the law was unconstitutional. The Supreme Court ruled in favor of the United States, finding that the United States had the right to tax the Chouteau family's trading post. The Court held that the United States had the power to regulate commerce with the Indian tribes, and that the tax was a valid exercise of that power. The Court also held that the tax was not a violation of the Chouteau family's rights under the Treaty of 1802, which had granted them the right to trade with the Osage Indians. In conclusion, the Supreme Court held that the United States had the right to tax the Chouteau family's trading post in Indian Territory, and that the tax was a valid exercise of the United States' power to regulate commerce with the Indian tribes.

In Chouteau v. United States, the Supreme Court was tasked with determining whether a treaty between the U.S. and France in 1804 gave exclusive jurisdiction to the federal government over certain land grants made by France before it ceded Louisiana to America in 1803. The majority opinion held that such treaties are binding on both parties and thus, Congress had exclusive authority over these lands as per their agreement with France. In his dissenting opinion, Justice Field argued that this interpretation of the treaty would be an unconstitutional exercise of power by Congress since they were not given any explicit authority from either party's constitution or laws to make such agreements concerning land rights without state consent or approval; therefore, he concluded that states should have concurrent jurisdiction over these lands unless otherwise provided for by law or treaty specifically granting exclusive control to one party alone.