Liberty and Union: A Constitutional History of the United States, volume 1

by McManus; Edgar J.

• ISBN13: 9780415892834
• ISBN10: 041589283X
• Edition: 1st
• Format: Nonspecific Binding
• Copyright: 2013-12-17
• Publisher: Routledge

Summary

Liberty and Unionis a clearly written, comprehensive overview of American constitutional development. Covering the country's history from the founding of the English colonies up through the latest decisions of the Supreme Court, this two-volume work presents the most complete discussion of American constitutional history currently available. McManus and Helfman successfully blend cases and court doctrines into the larger fabric of American politicial, economic, and social history. They discuss in detail the great cases handed down by the Supreme Court, showing how these cases played out in society and how constitutional growth parallels changes in American culture. In addition, the text examines lesser-known decisions that played important roles in affecting change, and also contains in-depth analyses of the intellects and personalities of the Supreme Court justices who made the influential decisions. Including useful supplemental features such as the text of the Declaration of Independence, Articles of Confederation, and Constitution and Bill of Rights, a chronological list of Supreme Court justices, a glossary of legal terminology, a table of over 500 important court cases, and suggested further reading, Liberty and Unionis the most user-friendly text on the growth of American constitutional history. A companion website contains links to primary sources, including case law, constitutional and historical documents, and related scholarly articles. Gracefully written and clearly explained, this two-volume set is indispensable for courses in American constitutional history and law. For those courses taught in one semester, a shorter, condensed version is available as well.