Bronson v. Rodes was a United States Supreme Court case that was decided in 1868. The case involved a dispute between two parties over a contract for the sale of a steamboat. The plaintiff, Bronson, was the owner of the steamboat and had entered into a contract with the defendant, Rodes, to sell the boat. The contract stated that the sale was to be completed within a certain period of time, and that if the sale was not completed within that time, the contract would be void. Rodes failed to complete the sale within the specified time period, and Bronson sued him for breach of contract. The Supreme Court held that the contract was valid and enforceable, and that Rodes was liable for breach of contract. The Court also held that the time period specified in the contract was a reasonable one, and that Bronson was entitled to damages for the breach. The decision in Bronson v. Rodes established the principle that contracts must be performed within the time period specified in the contract, and that failure to do so can result in liability for breach of contract. This case is still cited today as an example of the importance of adhering to the terms of a contract.

In Bronson v. Rodes, the Supreme Court was asked to decide whether a state court had jurisdiction over an action brought by a non-resident against another non-resident in which the cause of action arose out of a contract made within the state. The majority opinion held that it did not have jurisdiction because there was no actual presence or service of process on either party within the state and therefore could not be sued under its laws. Justice Field dissented from this decision, arguing that even though neither party resided in the state at issue, they both had sufficient contacts with it for purposes of establishing jurisdiction since their contract originated there and one party performed his part of it while present in the state. He argued further that if states were allowed to deny justice to those who contracted with them but then left before any dispute arose, such persons would be deprived of their right to seek redress without due process as guaranteed by Article IV Section 2 Clause 1 (the Full Faith and Credit Clause)of US Constitution.