Law in American History, Volume II From Reconstruction Through the 1920s

In this second installment of G. Edward White's sweeping history of law in America from the colonial era to the present, White, covers the period between 1865-1929, which encompasses Reconstruction, rapid industrialization, a huge influx of immigrants, the rise of Jim Crow, the emergence of an American territorial empire, World War I, and the booming yet xenophobic 1920s. As in the first volume, he connects the evolution of American law to the major political, economic, cultural, social, and demographic developments of the era. To enrich his account, White draws from the latest research from across the social sciences—economic history, anthropology, and sociology—yet weave those insights into a highly accessible narrative. Along the way he provides a compelling case for why law can be seen as the key to understanding the development of American life as we know it. Law in American History, Volume II will be an essential text for both students of law and general readers.

G. Edward White is David and Mary Harrison Distinguished Professor of Law and University Professor at the University of Virginia. His fifteen books include The American Judicial Tradition and Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes. White is also the editor of the John Harvard Library edition of Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr., The Common Law.