Liberty and Union

This, the first of two volumes of Liberty and Union, is a comprehensive constitutional history of the United States from the Anglo-American origins of the Constitution through the colonial and antebellum periods, to the Civil War and the consequent restructuring of the nation.
Written in a clear and engaging narrative style, it successfully unites thorough chronological coverage with a thematic approach, offering critical analysis of core constitutional history topics, set in the political, social, and economic context that made them constitutional issues in the first place. Combining a thoughtful and balanced narrative with an authoritative stance on key issues, the authors explain the past in the light of the past, without imposing upon it the standards of later generations.
Authored by two experienced professors of History and Law this textbook has been thoughtfully constructed to offer an accessible alternative to dense scholarly works - avoiding unnecessary technical jargon, defining legal terms and historical personalities where appropriate, and making explicit connections between constitutional themes and historical events. For students in an undergraduate or postgraduate constitutional history course, or anyone with a general interest in constitutional developments, this book will be essential reading.
Useful features include:
Full glossary of legal terminology
Recommended reading
A table of cases
Extensive supporting artwork
Companion website
Useful documents provided:
Declaration of Independence
Articles of Confederation
Constitution of the United States of America
Chronological list of Supreme Court justices

Edgar McManus, Tara Helfman

Introduction 1. The English Connection 2. A Legacy Transported and Transformed 3. Independence and Nationhood 4. A More Perfect Union 5. Launching the New Government 6. Jeffersonian Republicanism 7. John Marshall and Judicial Nationalism 8. Majority Rule and Sectional Rights 9. More Power to the States 10. Slavery and the Constitution 11. The Crisis of the Union 12. Reconstructing the Nation