Rice v. Houston, Administrator was a case heard by the United States Supreme Court in 1871. The case involved a dispute between the administrator of the estate of a deceased man and the man's widow over the ownership of certain property. The administrator argued that the property belonged to the estate, while the widow argued that it was her separate property. The Supreme Court held that the property belonged to the widow, as it had been acquired by her prior to the death of her husband. The Court reasoned that the property was acquired by the widow before the marriage, and thus it was her separate property. The Court also held that the administrator had no right to the property, as it was not part of the estate. The decision in Rice v. Houston, Administrator was significant in that it established the principle that property acquired by a spouse prior to marriage is the separate property of that spouse, and not part of the estate of the deceased spouse. This principle has been applied in numerous cases since, and is still in effect today.

In Rice v. Houston, Administrator, the Supreme Court was asked to decide whether a state court had jurisdiction over an estate dispute between two non-residents of that state. The majority opinion held that the lower court did have jurisdiction and affirmed its decision. Justice Field dissented from this ruling on the grounds that it violated due process rights under the Fourteenth Amendment by allowing a state court to exercise power beyond its boundaries without giving proper notice or opportunity for defense to those affected by such action. He argued further that if states were allowed to do so, they would be able to interfere with each other's proceedings in ways not intended by Congress when enacting laws regarding interstate commerce and property disputes. In conclusion, he stated his belief that any attempt at exercising extraterritorial authority should only be done through federal law or treaty rather than individual states' courts making their own decisions about matters outside their jurisdictions.