The Cambridge History of Law in America: Volume 2 The Long Nineteenth Century (1789-1920)

Volume II of the Cambridge History of Law in America focuses on the 'long' nineteenth century, from the creation of the Republic to the immediate aftermath of the First World War - the century of continental expansion, urban growth, capitalist innovation, industrialization, and war. The crystallization and then, after the Civil War, the reinvention of a distinctly American state system is examined, as is the establishment and growth of systematic legal education, the spread of the legal profession, and the growing density of legal institutions.

During this century, law becomes a technique of first resort wherever a person, institution, or government seeks to organize human activity. In this volume we see how law intertwines with religion, how it becomes ingrained in popular culture, and how it intersects with the distinct worlds of the American military and of international relations. The Cambridge History of Law in America has been made possible by the generous support of the American Bar Foundation.