US Legal History
Antebellum Era Legal History (1801-1860)
Introduction The Antebellum Era in American legal history spans from the beginning of the Marshall Court through the eve of the Civil War. This period saw the Supreme Court establish its authority as …
Founding Era Legal History (1776-1801)
Introduction The Founding Era of American legal history spans from the Declaration of Independence in 1776 through the end of the Federalist administration in 1801. This period saw the creation of the …
Modern Legal History (1970-Present)
Introduction The modern era of American legal history, from roughly 1970 to the present, has been shaped by the Burger, Rehnquist, and Roberts Courts. This period has seen the rise of conservative …
Progressive Era and New Deal Legal History (1900-1945)
Introduction The Progressive Era and New Deal period, from roughly 1900 to 1945, was a transformative era in American legal history. The period saw the rise of the regulatory state, the Lochner era of …
The Constitutional Convention of 1787
Background and the Crisis of the Articles of Confederation The Constitutional Convention of 1787 convened in Philadelphia against the backdrop of a failing national government. The Articles of …
The Legal History of the Civil Rights Movement
The Legal Foundations of Jim Crow The legal history of the civil rights movement begins in the aftermath of Reconstruction. Following the Civil War, the Thirteenth Amendment (1865) abolished slavery, …
The New Deal and Constitutional Transformation
The Constitutional Crisis of the Early New Deal When President Franklin D. Roosevelt took office in March 1933, the United States was in the depths of the Great Depression: unemployment exceeded 25 …
The Reconstruction Amendments and Their Legacy
The Thirteenth Amendment and the Abolition of Slavery The Thirteenth Amendment, ratified on December 6, 1865, was the first of the three Reconstruction Amendments and the most decisive constitutional …