The Blessings of Liberty: A Concise History of the Constitution of the United States

by Michael Benedict

Overview

This concise, accessible text provides students with a history of American constitutional development in the context of political, economic, and social change. Constitutional historian Michael Benedict stresses the role that the American people have played over time in defining the powers of government and the rights of individuals and minorities. He covers important trends and events in U.S. constitutional history, encompassing key Supreme Court and lower-court cases. The volume begins by discussing the English and colonial origins of American constitutionalism. Following an analysis of the American Revolution's meaning to constitutional history, the text traces the Constitution's evolution from the Early Republic to the present day. This third edition is updated to include the election of 2000, the Tea Party and the rise of popular constitutionalism, and the rise of judicial supremacy as seen in cases such as Citizens United, the Affordable Care Act, and gay marriage.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781442259911
Publisher:	Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Inc.
Publication date:	09/30/2016
Edition description:	Third Edition
Pages:	574
Product dimensions:	9.10(w) x 6.20(h) x 1.40(d)
Age Range:	18 Years

About the Author

Michael Les Benedict is a prominent American historian who taught at Ohio State University from 1970 until his retirement in 2005.

Table of Contents

Preface Introduction:The American Constitution and American Constitutional History 1.English Origins of American Constitutionalism 2.Colonial Origins of American Constitutionalism 3.The American Revolution 4.Establishing New State and Federal Constitutions 5.Constitutional Issues in the Early Republic 6.Judicial Review, Nationalism, and State Sovereignty 7.Andrew Jackson, Democracy, and “State Rights” 8.Slavery and the Constitution 9.The Constitution and the Civil War 10.Reconstruction and the Constitution 11.The Industrial State, Victorian Moralism, Laissez-Faire Constitutionalism, and State Rights 12.The Progressive Era 13.Liberal versus Conservative Constitutionalism in the 1920s 14.The New Deal and the Constitution 15.Liberal Constitutionalism 16.Liberal Constitutionalism and Equality 17.Curbing Presidential Power 18.The Revival of Conservative Constitutionalism 19.The Supreme Court and Conservative Constitutionalism 20.The Erosion of Constitutional Comity 21.The Conservative Court, the Constitution and Judicial Supremacy 22.Presidentialism and the Security State 23.Constitution Wars Appendix A Articles of Confederation Appendix B Constitution of the United States Appendix C Justices of the United States Supreme Court Appendix D Tables of Cases Index

Editorial Reviews

"I am astounded by Les Benedict’s ability to compress the story of American constitutional development—which he rightly treats as requiring far more than simply knowledge of Supreme Court decisions—into a relatively short and readable volume (that, in addition, contains extremely helpful bibliographies). I will certainly strongly recommend it to any of my own law students in need of the kind of overview that he so well provides."

Sanford Levinson