Sources in American Constitutional History

Edited by Michael Les Benedict Ohio State University

Publication date:

13 October 2017

Length of book:

432 pages

Publisher

Rowman & Littlefield Publishers

Dimensions:

239x157mm
6x9"

ISBN-13: 9781538100110

BOOK DESCRIPTION
TABLE OF CONTENTS

In the second revised and expanded edition of this invaluable reader, Michael Les Benedict draws together the important documents that have shaped and been shaped by the American Constitution from medieval times through the present day. It includes not only the most important Supreme Court decisions, but also key American declarations, resolutions, laws, and platforms. All these documents represent, in a sense, the formal expression of the American people's ongoing contract with each other.

The documents in the reader are organized into chapters corresponding to those in the third edition of The Blessings of Liberty: A Concise History of the Constitution of the United States. However, since they reflect the generally accepted canon of American constitutional history, they may supplement any textbook or other readings. The brief introductory headnotes provide information about the social, political, and intellectual context in which each document first appeared.

Preface
Introduction

Chapter 1: English Origins of American Constitutionalism
Chapter 2: Colonial Origins of American Constitutionalism
Chapter 3: The American Revolution
Chapter 4: Establishing New State and Federal Constitutions
Chapter 5: Constitutional Issues in the Early Republic
Chapter 6: Judicial Review, Nationalism, and State Sovereignty
Chapter 7: Jacksonian Democracy and State Rights
Chapter 8: Slavery and the Constitution
Chapter 9: The Constitution and the Civil War
Chapter 10: Reconstruction and the Constitution
Chapter 11: The Industrial State, Laissez-Faire, Constitutionalism, and State Rights
Chapter 12: The Progressive Era
Chapter 13: Conservative Constitutionalism in the 1920s
Chapter 14: The New Deal and the Constitution
Chapter 15: Liberal Constitutionalism
Chapter 16: Liberal Constitutionalism and Equality
Chapter 17: Curbing Presidential Power
Chapter 18: The Revival of Constitutional Conservatism
Chapter 19: The Supreme Court and Conservative Constitutionalism Civil Liberties
Chapter 20: The Erosion of Constitutional Comity
Chapter 21: The Conservative Court, the Constitution, and Judicial Supremacy
Chapter 22: Presidentialism and the Security State
Chapter 23: Constitution Wars

Appendix
The Constitution of the United States of America
Table of Cases

Index
About the Editor