The Bill of Rights: Its Origin and Meaning

by Irving Brant

Contents:

The Bill of Rights and its background: Sixty-three pledges of freedom;
Thinking back to Edward III;
Textbooks on tyranny;
Ten pillars of freedom;
Hats on and hats off;
Mandates or admonitions;
Old rights and later wrongs;
The diabolical art of printing;
Coke's myth of seditious libel;
Judicial midwives of the law of libel;
The popish plot;
The fall of the perjured informers;
Eight saints and a sinner;
Such freedom as the law allows;
The case of John Peter Zenger;
Franklin, Francklin, Cato and Wilkes;
Junius, juries, and judges;

The current of freedom --
The Bill of Rights and its foreground: Congress shall make no law;
A time lag in madness;
Idolators of tyranny;
Champions of liberty;
Freedom enchained;
Madison vs. Marshall vs. Iredell;
A textbook on liberty;
Revival of freedom;
The fourteenth amendment, its first form;
The fourteenth amendment, its final form;
The privilege of no privilege;
The due process of no process;
Equal rights and segregation;
Thou shalt (not) accuse thyself;
Due process in speech and press;
Freedom of religion;
Lex et consuetudo congressi;
Forging the sword of inquisition;
Attainder by congressional committees;
Resurgent rights;
Fear of freedom;
Freedom from fear.

Genres: History

580 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1965

About the author

The son of a local newspaper editor, Irving Newton Brandt earned his BA in 1909 at the University of Iowa, in Iowa City. He worked as a reporter and editorial writer for the St. Louis Star-Times from 1918 to 1923, and 1930 to 1938. Though the author of works of poetry, short stories, plays, and children's novels, he is best known for his six-volume scholarly biography of James Madison.

Reviews

[John Barnes · Rating 5 out of 5]

If I could wave a wand and require one book for every US high school government or civics class, this would be it. Crystal clear, quick, accurate explanations of how each of the written guarantees of liberty in the US Constitution got there -- what the people who wrote it were thinking and what they had in mind.

This book reminds me of what Treebeard says to Merry and Pippin: "I am not altogether on anyone's side, for no one is altogether on mine."

[Martin Gall · Rating 5 out of 5]

A lot of background information. This book is a good research tool for any history students.

[Erin Lindsey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really interesting to learn about the Bill of Rights. I really think everyone should read this book.