Tomlinson v. Jessup was a United States Supreme Court case that was decided in 1872. The case involved a dispute between two parties over a contract for the sale of a steamboat. The plaintiff, Tomlinson, had entered into a contract with the defendant, Jessup, to purchase a steamboat for $2,000. Tomlinson paid the full amount, but Jessup refused to deliver the boat. Tomlinson then sued Jessup for breach of contract. The Supreme Court held that the contract was valid and enforceable. The Court found that the contract was supported by consideration, meaning that both parties had given something of value in exchange for the other's promise. The Court also found that the contract was not void for lack of mutuality, meaning that both parties had an obligation to perform under the contract. The Court held that Jessup was liable for breach of contract and ordered him to deliver the steamboat to Tomlinson. The Court also ordered Jessup to pay damages to Tomlinson for the breach. This case established the principle that a contract is valid and enforceable if it is supported by consideration and mutuality.

In Tomlinson v. Jessup, the Supreme Court was tasked with determining whether a contract between two parties could be enforced when one of them had died before it was fully executed. The majority opinion held that the contract in question could not be enforced because it had not been completed prior to the death of one party; however, Justice Field dissented from this ruling. He argued that contracts should generally remain enforceable even if they are incomplete at the time of death and noted that such an interpretation would encourage people to enter into binding agreements without fear of their being rendered invalid due to unforeseen circumstances like death or disability. Furthermore, he suggested that allowing for enforcement in these cases would provide greater certainty and stability within commercial transactions by ensuring all parties involved can rely on their contractual obligations being upheld regardless of any intervening events which may occur during performance.