John Barron owned a profitable wharf in the city of Baltimore, the value of which was diminished when a large amount of sand built up in the harbor as a result of new development. Barron sued the city for compensation, alleging that it had effectively taken his property in violation of the Fifth Amendment. He won at trial, but the Maryland Court of Appeals reversed the verdict, and Barron sought review in the Supreme Court. The Court held that it had no jurisdiction over the case because the Fifth Amendment was intended to restrain the actions of the federal government and did not apply to state or local governments.