Thomas Tremlett, plaintiff in error, brought a case against Joseph T. Adams before the United States Supreme Court. The dispute arose from an agreement between the two parties to purchase and sell land in Wisconsin Territory. Tremlett alleged that he had paid Adams for the land but was never given title or possession of it. He sought damages for breach of contract as well as compensation for improvements made on the property prior to its sale. In response, Adams argued that there was no valid contract because Wisconsin law required all contracts involving real estate be written and signed by both parties; this one had not been done so according to him. The Supreme Court ultimately sided with Tremlett, ruling that verbal agreements were legally binding under Wisconsin law at the time and awarding him damages accordingly.

In Thomas Tremlett v. Joseph T. Adams, the Supreme Court was tasked with deciding whether a contract between two parties that had been made in one state but performed in another could be enforced under the laws of both states. The majority opinion held that such contracts were not enforceable and thus dismissed the plaintiff's claim for damages due to breach of contract. However, Justice McLean dissented from this decision on the grounds that it would lead to an unjust result as well as create confusion regarding which state's law should apply when dealing with interstate contracts. He argued that since there was no dispute over what terms had been agreed upon by both parties, they should be allowed to seek enforcement of their agreement regardless of where performance took place or which state's law applied at any given time during its formation or execution. Furthermore, he believed it would be unfair if either party were denied relief simply because they happened to have entered into a contract across state lines rather than within them alone.