Bacon v. International Bank of Chicago was a case heard by the United States Supreme Court in 1891. The case involved a dispute between the International Bank of Chicago and the Bacon family over a loan that the bank had made to the family. The Bacon family had borrowed money from the bank to purchase a farm, but had failed to make the payments on the loan. The bank then sued the family for the unpaid debt. The Bacon family argued that the loan was usurious and that the bank had charged them an excessive rate of interest. The Supreme Court disagreed, ruling that the loan was not usurious and that the bank had the right to collect the unpaid debt. The Court also held that the bank had not acted in bad faith in making the loan and that the Bacon family was liable for the unpaid debt. The decision in Bacon v. International Bank of Chicago established that banks have the right to collect unpaid debts and that borrowers are liable for the debts they incur. The case also established that banks are not required to act in good faith when making loans and that borrowers are responsible for ensuring that the terms of the loan are fair.

In Bacon v. International Bank of Chicago, the Supreme Court was tasked with determining whether a bank could be held liable for failing to pay out funds on behalf of its customers when those funds were stolen by an employee. The majority opinion found that the bank had no liability in this case as it had taken reasonable steps to protect against theft and fraud. Justice Field dissented from this decision, arguing that banks should not be absolved from responsibility simply because they took precautions against theft or fraud; rather, he argued that if a customer entrusts money to a bank for safekeeping and then does not receive it due to negligence or dishonesty on the part of an employee, then the bank is responsible for making good on their promise regardless of any security measures they may have taken. He concluded his dissent by stating that "the law should hold them [banks] strictly accountable."