Description
Book SynopsisTrade Review"The third edition of Michael Les Benedict’s The Blessings of Liberty is a treasure. Clearly written and easy to understand, the text takes us from the English roots of American constitutionalism to 2016. Taking the approach of the modern constitutional historian, Benedict plunges us into the controversies relevant to the formation and implementation of the Constitution of 1787 and its amendments, providing the necessary political, social, and economic context that accompanied the development of American constitutional law. I wish there were more undergraduate courses in constitutional history, so that more students could read this book. But we could all benefit by reading it." -- Maeva Marcus, Director, Institute for Constitutional History, The New-York Historical Society and The George Washington University Law School
"There is no better introduction to constitutional history than The Blessings of Liberty. Learned, clearly written, up to date on recent scholarship, the book is essential reading for anyone seeking to understand this crucial subject." -- Eric Foner, Columbia University
"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, author of An Argument Open to All: Reading the Federalist in the 21st Century
Table of ContentsPreface 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
