Marble Company v. Ripley was a United States Supreme Court case that was decided in 1870. The case involved a dispute between Marble Company and Ripley over a contract for the sale of marble. Marble Company had contracted with Ripley to sell him marble for a certain price, but Ripley refused to pay the agreed-upon price. Marble Company then sued Ripley for breach of contract. The Supreme Court held that Ripley was liable for breach of contract. The Court reasoned that Ripley had entered into a valid contract with Marble Company and had failed to fulfill his obligations under the contract. The Court also held that Ripley was liable for damages, as he had failed to pay the agreed-upon price for the marble. The Court's decision in Marble Company v. Ripley established that a party who enters into a valid contract and fails to fulfill his obligations under the contract is liable for damages. This decision has been cited in numerous subsequent cases and has become an important precedent in contract law.

In the case of Marble Company v. Ripley, the Supreme Court was tasked with deciding whether a contract between two parties could be enforced when it had been made without consideration or mutual agreement. The majority opinion held that such contracts were unenforceable and thus not binding on either party. However, in his dissenting opinion Justice Field argued that while consideration is an important factor to consider when determining enforceability of a contract, it should not be considered dispositive as there are other factors which can also make a contract valid and binding even if no consideration has been exchanged. He further argued that courts should look at all relevant facts surrounding the making of a contract before ruling on its validity rather than simply relying upon one single element like consideration alone.