Changes in Law and Society during the Civil War and Reconstruction: A Legal History Documentary Reader (Legal History Documentary Readers)

The first comprehensive collection of legal history documents from the Civil War and Reconstruction, this volume shows the profound legal changes that occurred during the Civil War era and highlights how law, society, and politics inextricably mixed and set American legal development on particular paths that were not predetermined. Editor Christian G. Samito has carefully selected excerpts from legislation, public and legislative debates, court cases, investigations of white supremacist violence in the South, and rare court-martial records, added his expert analysis, and illustrated the selections with telling period artwork to create an outstanding resource that demonstrates the rich and important legal history of the era. Illustrations 14 Introduction 18 Chapter 1: The Status of African Americans before the Civil War 22 Chapter 2: The Expansion of Governmental Power and the Nationalization of the Union 76 Chapter 3: African Americans, Emancipation, and Military Service 117 Chapter 4: Rights during the Civil War and Reconstruction: Potential, Change, and Opposition 181 Chapter 5: Judicial Interpretation and Limitation of the Civil War Amendments and Civil Rights Legislation 277 Notes 342 Further Reading 344 Index 348 Author Bio 353 "The first comprehensive collection of legal history documents from the Civil War and Reconstruction, this volume shows the profound legal changes that occurred during the Civil War era and highlights how law, society, and politics inextricably mixed and set American legal development on particular paths that were not predetermined."--Back cover The status of blacks before the Civil War The expansion of governmental power and the nationalization of the Union Blacks and the Union armed forces Civil rights during the Civil War and Reconstruction : potential, change, and opposition Judicial interpretation and limitation of the Civil War amendments and civil rights legislation.