The Magic Mirror: Law in American History

Weaving together themes from the history of public, private, and constitutional law, The Magic Mirror: Law in American History, Second Edition, recounts the roles that law-in all its many shapes and forms-has played in American history, from the days of the earliest English settlements in North America to the year 2007. It also provides comprehensive treatment of twentieth-century developments and sets American law and legal institutions in the broad context of social, cultural, economic, and political events. Featuring extensive updates by new author Peter Karsten, The Magic Mirror is ideal for courses in American Legal History.

New to the Second Edition Additional coverage of resistance to law throughout U.S. history and the customary law of self-governing bodies and indigenous peoples, Expanded topical reach to include the ways that statutes and high court decisions played out at the grass-roots level, including the several times that such statutes and decisions were ignored or defied by the public, The top research on American legal history published from the 90s to mid-2007.