Abstract
This Article analyzes the references to law found in three standard U.S. History textbooks: (1) ALAN BRINKLEY, AMERICAN HISTORY CONNECTING WITH THE PAST 745 (McGraw-Hill Educ., 15th ed. 2015); (2) ERIC FONER, GIVE ME LIBERTY! AN AMERICAN HISTORY 461 (Steve Forman et al. eds., 5th ed. 2017); and (3) DAVID GOLDFIELD ET AL., THE AMERICAN JOURNEY: A HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES (7th ed. Combined vol. 2014, 2011, 2008). The Article includes a quantitative analysis of topics (i.e., tabulating the topics that appear most frequently in the texts arranged chronologically) as well as summaries of those topics. It also discusses and draws conclusions regarding the forces that have shaped the development of American legal history—in particular the complex relationships among interest groups, individual historical figures, executives, legislators, and judges.
Recommended Citation
Russ VerSteeg,
The Role of Law in U.S. History Textbooks,
71 Clev. St. L. Rev.
363
(2023)
available at https://engagedscholarship.csuohio.edu/clevstlrev/vol71/iss2/6
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