On Trial Vol. II : American History Through Court Proceedings and Hearings

by Marcus, Robert D.; Marcus, Anthony

• ISBN13: 9781881089247
• ISBN10: 188108924X
• Edition: 1st
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 1998-08-06
• Publisher: Wiley-Blackwell

Summary

The trials and hearings presented in the two volumes of On Trial capture much of American history in the intensity of courtroom confrontation and argument. Judicial proceedings have long fascinated both historians and the general public. Newspapers give extensive coverage both to trials that command national attention and to the many that appeal to local interest. Examining these trials and hearings makes possible not only an understanding of the larger issues surrounding them, but a deepened perception of the society in which each occurred. As Natalie Zemon Davis writes, "a remarkable dispute can sometimes uncover motivations and values that are lost in the welter of the everyday." On Trial is the first anthology based on edited transcripts of trials and hearing that is intended for use in American history survey classrooms.

Author Biography

The late Robert D. Marcus was Professor of History at SUNY, Brockport, from 1983-2000.

Anthony Marcus teaches in the School of Anthropology, Geography, and Environmental Studies at the University of Melbourne in Australia. He has published on globalization and culture change (Anthropology For A Small Planet, 1996) and American history, and his current writing focuses on Mexican migrants in the northeastern United States, poverty and public policy, the politics of the culture concept in development, and comparative mestizajes.

Table of Contents

Reconstructing in the South: The Lynching of Jim Williams, 1871

Women's Rights: The Susan B. Anthony Trial, 1873

The West: The Trial of Frank James for Train Robbery and Murder, 1883

Labor's martyrs: The Haymarket Trial, 1886

Shame of the Cities: The Edward Butler Trial, 1902

Progressive Jurisprudence: Muller v. Oregon, 1908

Dissent During World War I: The Kate O'Hare Trial, 1919

Evolution and the Bible: The Scopes Trial, 1925

Racial Justice: The Scottsboro Boys, 1931-37

Red Scare: The Army-McCarthy Hearings, 1954

Outlawing Segregation: Brown v. Board of Education, 1954

The Abortion Controversy: Roe v. Wade, 1973

Life and Death: In the Matter of Karen Ann Quinlan, 1976

Race and Gender: The Clarence Thomas Confirmation Hearing, 1991

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