In the past several decades, few fields of historical study have seen as much growth as the history of American law. Reflecting a wealth of new material in this field, A Companion to American Legal History presents a comprehensive analysis of the most recent scholarship on legal history from the colonial era through the late twentieth century. Featuring contributions from the finest established and emerging legal scholars, essays treat major time periods and themes from the perspective of race, gender, family, and labor, through to economics, jurisprudence, and crime. The essays represent an authoritative overview of leading historical interpretations as they address essential legal questions and point to future interpretive research directions to understand the complexities of American law and its legal institutions. A Companion to American Legal History offers illuminating insights into the evolution of the laws that have shaped--and been shaped by--American society from its origins until the present today.
