The Constitutional Origins of the American Civil War

Michael F. Conlin

$45.95

Paperback

Not in-store but you can order this
How long will it take?

Availability Information

We source books from suppliers in Australia and overseas. For books we don't currently have in stock, the time it takes to get them from our suppliers can vary widely - from a few days to a few months - so we check each book with each supplier to determine the expected time it will take to be supplied to us.

We then advise you accordingly. If the time taken to get any book is too long for you, you can let us know and we will cancel or adjust your order, and refund as required.

To find out the anticipated arrival time for specific items prior to ordering, please contact us by phone or email:

Phone +61 2 9264 3111, or 1800 4 BOOKS (1800 4 26657) if outside Sydney:
option 1 Abbey's Bookshop (Crime, History, Science, Kids & more) • info@abbeys.com.au
option 2 Language Book Centre (ESL & Foreign Languages) • language@abbeys.com.au
option 3 Galaxy Bookshop (Sci-fi, Fantasy, Romance, Graphic Novels) • sf@galaxybooks.com.au

QTY:

English

Cambridge University Press
25 June 2020

History of the Americas; Slavery & abolition of slavery; American Civil War; Constitution: government & the state; Constitutional & administrative law

Series: Cambridge Historical Studies in American Law and Society

In an incisive analysis of over two dozen clauses as well as several 'unwritten' rules and practices, The Constitutional Origins of the American Civil War shows how the Constitution aggravated the sectional conflict over slavery to the point of civil war. Going beyond the fugitive slave clause, the three-fifths clause, and the international slave trade clause, Michael F. Conlin demonstrates that many more constitutional provisions and practices played a crucial role in the bloody conflict that claimed the lives of over 750,000 Americans. He also reveals that ordinary Americans in the mid-nineteenth century had a surprisingly sophisticated knowledge of the provisions and the methods of interpretation of the Constitution. Lastly, Conlin reminds us that many of the debates that divide Americans today were present in the 1850s: minority rights vs. majority rule, original intent vs. a living Constitution, state's rights vs. federal supremacy, judicial activism vs. legislative prerogative, secession vs. union, and counter-majoritarianism vs. democracy.

By: Michael F. Conlin
Imprint: Cambridge University Press
Country of Publication: United Kingdom
Dimensions: Height: 230mm, Width: 153mm, Spine: 24mm
Weight: 620g
ISBN: 9781108459969
ISBN 10: 110845996X
Series: Cambridge Historical Studies in American Law and Society
Pages: 349
Publication Date: 25 June 2020
Audience: Professional and scholarly , College/higher education , Undergraduate , Further / Higher Education
Format: Paperback
Publisher's Status: Active

1. The original intent of the slaveholding founders; 2. Two constitutional wrongs did not guarantee a constitutional right; 3. The tyranny of the Northern majority; 4. The spirit of 1787; 5. The constitutional right of secession; Epilogue: the Founders' constitution no more.

Michael F. Conlin is Professor of History at Eastern Washington University and author of One Nation Divided by Slavery: Remembering the American Revolution while Marching toward the Civil War (2015).

Reviews for The Constitutional Origins of the American Civil War

'The Constitutional Origins of the American Civil War is a must-read for anyone interested in either the constitutional dimensions of the conflict over slavery or the influence of constitutional arguments on public policy debates more generally.' Earl Maltz, author of Slavery and the Supreme Court, 1825–1861 'The Constitutional Origins of the American Civil War is a fascinating read about the role of the Constitution in causing the Civil War. Exhaustively researched and expertly written, the book sheds critical light on how a 4,000-word document that never used the word 'slavery' could contribute to a war over it seventy years later.' Jason A. Gillmer, author of Slavery and Freedom in Texas: Stories from the Courtroom, 1821–1871 'Michael F. Conlin has given us an authoritative biography of the Founders' Constitution as the People's charter. His exhaustively researched and brilliantly argued book should lay to rest any doubt that the original Constitution was responsible for the Civil War.' H. Robert Baker, Georgia State University 'Conlin's study offers fresh insight on the causes of the Civil War … Highly recommended.' S. J. Ramold, Choice