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Spirit Of American Law
An Anthology
Intended Audience and Scope
Designed for the general public, the readings in this collection explore the roots of American law from pre-history to ancient Greece and Rome and the common law of England.
Historical Development
America's legal development is traced from the drafting of the Constitution to the Rehnquist Court. Themes along the way include the “Golden Age” of the early nineteenth century, when American law took on its distinctive character, the impact of slavery and the Civil War, and the struggles of the Progressives to regulate the nation’s industrialized economy between the post-Civil War era and the New Deal.
International and Civil Rights
A reading on the Nuremberg Trials introduces the theme of international human rights, while post-war readings trace the nation’s legal confrontations over civil liberties, civil rights, the rights of women, the protection of the environment, and legal protections for those accused of crimes.
Historical Highlights and Personalities
Dramatic highlights include the Sacco-Vanzetti case, the internment of Japanese-Americans during World War II, the trial of the “Chicago Eight” during the Vietnam War, and the Watergate scandal. Leading personalities include Sirs Edward Coke and William Blackstone in England, Chief Justices John Marshall and Earl Warren, Justices Stephen J. Field, Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr., Louis D. Brandeis, and Felix Frankfurter, and Judge Learned Hand.
Future of American Law
Readings on the future of American law explore the impact of alternative dispute resolution, science and technology, globalization, and space exploration, as well as trends in the legal profession and in legal philosophy.
