U.S. Constitution For Beginners

by Steve Bachmann, Jorge Diaz (Illustrator)

Overview

In a combination of witty text and illustrations U.S. Constitution For Beginners take a tongue-in-cheek look at America's most critical legal document. Author and lawyer Steve Bachmann has written a text that touches on the document's history beginning with the Magna Carta. He then traces the events that precipitated its writing, the personalities and motives of the people who create it, and its use and misuses since ratification.

U.S. Constitution For Beginners analyzes crucial elements of this binding set of principles and ponders the future of the Constitution as well as the role of American citizens. Though hotly debated and constantly reinterpreted, the Constitution has survived wars, industrialization, expansion and politicians.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781934389621
Publisher:	For Beginners
Publication date:	04/17/2012
Series:	For Beginners
Pages:	178
Product dimensions:	6.08(w) x 8.78(h) x 0.52(d)

About the Author

Steve Bachmann, AB (Harvard), MFA (UNO), JD (Harvard), now retired, worked for social change over the years as an attorney for many organizations including Project Vote, ACORN, Acorn Housing Corporation, Agape Broadcasting Foundation, and SEIU Health Care Illinois and Indiana. He is also co-founder of The New Orleans Art Review. Bachmann has written scores of law review articles and several books over the years, including Preach Liberty (Four Walls Eight Windows, 1990); Nonprofit Litigation (John Wiley and Sons, 1992); Lawyers, Law and Social Change (2001) published in conjunction with the ACORN Cultural Trust and Unlimited Publishing LLC.

Jorge Diaz graduated from the Savannah College of Art and Design in 1999 with double Bachelors of fine arts degrees in Computer and Sequential Art. From 1999 to 2007 Diaz worked as digital artist and game designer for Vicarious Visions Inc and currently is a game designer for 1st Playable Productions LLC. To date he has contributed to almost 40 handheld titles ranging from the Game Boy Color to the Nintendo DS. In 2005 Diaz became co-proprietor of an independent art materials store Central Art Supply (now Pigment Art Supply). And in 2007, he began self-publishing print on demand Graphic Novels with three complete titles available online. Jorge Diaz is currently an active member of the Albany New York's Upstate Artist Guild.

Table of Contents

Selective Chronology vii

The U.S. Constitution's Antecedents 1

Introduction 1

Magna Carta 2

Early Constitutions 4

Reasons For Emigration 6

Revolution In England 8

Revolutionary Colony Constitutions 13

Counter-Revolution To Glorious Revolution

Transition 18

Declaration Op Independence 19

State Constitutions 22

Revolution & Rights 24

Articles Op Confederation, Pro And Con 25

Shays' Rebellion And Rhode Island 27

Reaction To Shays' Rebellion 28

Making The Constitution 29

Convention Preludes 29

Convention Opens 31

Virginia Plan, Checks And Balances 33

Arguments Over Democracy 34

Alternatives 35

Great Compromise 36

Convention Wrap Up 37

After Signing 38

The Federalists 40

Anti-Federalists 42

More Reservations 43

Ratification 44

Legitimation 46

Bill Of Rights 48

Arguing Over The Constitution 52

Interpretation 52

The States Respond 54

The Revolution Op 1800 55

Marbury V. Madison 57

The Decision 58

Marshall 60

Alternatives To Marbury 62

Jackson 64

Judicial Retreat 66

Transition 68

Warring Over The Constitution 69

Slavery 69

Dred Scott 71

War Issues 73

War 74

Resolution 75

Emancipation 77

Reconstruction 78

Impeaching Johnson 79

Supreme Court Tap-Dances 81

Supreme Court Guts The 14th Amendment 83

Years Of Reaction 85

The Compromise Op 1877 85

The Lawyers Take Over 87

The People Fight Back 92

World War I 95

Democracy At Home Killed To

"Save Democracy" Abroad 96

More Amendments 98

Supreme Court Backs Reaction 100

Tapt And Hughes 102

The Depression 104

Years Op Reform 105

The New Deal 105

The Judicial Revolution Op 1937 107

The New Court: Closures 109

The New Court: Openings 110

War Again 111

Fdr's Second Bill Of Rights 113

Truman 115

Red Scares 116

Earl Warren 119

Brown V. Board Of Education 120

Reactions 122

Black Mobilization 124

Children 126

And Women 127

More Judicial Progress 128

Reaction Redux 130

Tides Of History 130

Reaction Re-Organizes 132

The Nixon Wave 134

The Reagan (Counter) Revolution 136

The 20th Century Ends 139

The 21st Century Begins 141

Evaluation 145

We The People 145

A More Perfect Union 146

Justice 147

Tranqurlity 148

The Common Defense 149

Welfare 151

The Blessings of Liberty 153

Future 154

Further Reading 156

The U.S. Constitution 159