Quarrels That Have Shaped the Constitution

by John A. Garraty

“From Marbury v. Madison to Roe v. Wade . . . each essay provides a concise, lively, clearly explained account of the actual people and events involved in the litigation and a cogent summary of the thinking that went into the court’s decision.” Christian Science Monitor Leading American historians describe landmark Supreme Court cases that have altered the U.S. Constitution Quarrels That Have Shaped the Constitution is a classic collection of essays on groundbreaking decisions passed down from the nation's highest court that have had profound and irrevocable impact on the ultimate laws of the land. From the Dred Scott case to Roe v. Wade , from the court of Chief Justice John Marshall to the justices of the modern era—here are fascinating, surprising, often inspiring stories of personal conflicts and the resolutions that influence the lives we live today. More than simply focusing on the significance of the decisions themselves, these essays introduce a remarkable cast of characters from every social strata—smugglers and slaves, bankers and butchers, rebels, servants, laborers, and tycoons—each of whom now has an indelible place in American history.

Genres: History, Law, Nonfiction, Politics, American History

400 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1962

About the author

John Arthur Garraty was an American historian and biographer. He specialized largely in American political and economic history.

Garraty earned an undergraduate degree from Brooklyn College in 1941 and completed his doctorate at Columbia University in 1948. During World War II, he served in the United States Merchant Marines as a swimming instructor. He taught at Michigan State University for 12 years before joining the Columbia University History Department in 1959. Garraty also served as the president of the Society of American Historians. He retired from teaching at Columbia in 1990.

An author of many textbooks, Garraty's works include the college and high school history textbook The American Nation, later editions of which were co-written with Mark C. Carnes. Among Garraty's other works were many biographies, and Garraty was one of the general editors of the American National Biography, a project which he completed in his retirement.

Reviews

[Roger · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a useful collection of narrative essays on some of the most influential Supreme Court decisions in American history. Although it isn’t a comprehensive review of case law development, its essays provide a good amount of contextual detail for understanding how and why the Court has gone in certain directions.

[Steven · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was assigned reading for my undergraduate history degree. I stumbled across a copy in Philadelphia earlier this year, and I sat down and started to read it in the store. It is really worth the effort.

[Darlis · Rating 4 out of 5]

This collection of stories about important supreme court cases is extremely intersting. Each case is written by a different author so some are hugely fascinating and some are rather dull. But I found the story of the case interesting, the leagal background often contained or explained new insights for me. I used several of the cases in teaching my government class. Of course, my students all groaned when I said I would like to have them read several of the episodes themselves.

[Ashley · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is fascinating! It takes a bunch of the major Supreme Court cases and talks about the importance of the decision, and its impact on our nation. A great book for anyone interested in constitutional issues.

[John · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very interesting, and very readable history.