Thompson v. Whitman is a United States Supreme Court case that was decided in 1873. The case involved a dispute between two parties over the ownership of a piece of land in New York. The plaintiff, Thompson, claimed that he had purchased the land from the defendant, Whitman, in 1867. However, Whitman argued that the sale was invalid because he had not received payment for the land. The Supreme Court ultimately sided with Thompson, ruling that the sale was valid and that Thompson was the rightful owner of the land. The Court reasoned that the sale was valid because Thompson had paid Whitman for the land and had taken possession of it. Furthermore, the Court noted that Whitman had not taken any action to reclaim the land or to challenge the sale. The Court's decision in Thompson v. Whitman established that a sale is valid if the buyer has paid for the land and taken possession of it, even if the seller has not received payment. This ruling has been cited in numerous subsequent cases and has become an important precedent in property law.

Justice Field delivered the dissenting opinion in Thompson v. Whitman, arguing that the majority's decision was contrary to both law and justice. He argued that a state court had no jurisdiction over an Indian reservation, as it is not within its boundaries or subject to its laws. Furthermore, he asserted that Congress has exclusive authority over Indian tribes and their lands; thus any action taken by a state court would be invalid unless authorized by Congress. Additionally, Justice Field noted that even if there were some legal basis for the state court's actions against Thompson on his own land, such proceedings should have been stayed until after his appeal of the original judgment had been decided upon by higher courts. In conclusion, Justice Field concluded that "the whole proceeding [was] void" and urged reversal of the lower court’s ruling in favor of Whitman