Books with author D. J Herda

Young Martha Jane Cannary began life as a camp follower and street urchin. Parentless by the age of twelve, she morphed into the mother of two who just as often took employment as a waitress, laundress, or dance hall girl as she did an Indian scout or bullwhacker. Just as likely to wear a dress as she was buckskins, she was impossible to ignore no matter what she wore, particularly after she’d had a few drinks! And she shamelessly parlayed into a legend the aura of fame that Edward L. Wheeler’s dime novels crafted around her.Perhaps most amazing of all, in an era where women had few options in life, Calamity Jane had the audacity to carve them out for herself. The gun-toting, tough-talking, hard-drinking woman was all Western America come to life. Flowing across the untamed small towns and empty spaces of South Dakota, Wyoming, and Montana like the wild running rivers of the American West, she helped create the legend of Calamity Jane from scratch. Part carnie barker, part actor, part sexually alluring siren, part drunken lout--she was all of these and much more.

Slave or citizen? This was the key question that Dred Scott brought to the United States Supreme Court in May of 1857. Author D. J. Herda examines the ideas and arguments behind this landmark case. Presented in a lively, thought-provoking overview, Herda brings to life the people, the case, and the fateful decision that upheld the legality of slavery.

Should news providers be allowed to publish stories that may prove embarrassing to the United States government? This was the question the United States Supreme Court had to consider in the case of NEW YORK TIMES V. UNITED STATES in 1971. Author D. J. Herda examines the mood of the country during this time, along with the ideas and arguments behind this landmark case. Presented in a lively, thought-provoking overview, Herda brings to life the people and events of this decision maintaining freedom of the press.

Freedom of speech is one of the cornerstones of American liberty, but it was not always taken for granted as it is now. During the Vietnam War, the government made some choices the American public did not necessarily agree with. When the New York Times published articles detailing a war nobody knew about, it caused some waves in the United States government as it scrambled to cover up what it could and control what it couldnt. This title gives a balanced report of what went on during this time and how the case made it to the Supreme Court. It also gives lots of detail on the differing opinions and what the ultimate decision was. Also included are questions to consider, primary source documents, and a chronology of the case.

Should the death penalty be considered cruel and unusual punishment? This was the question brought before the United States Supreme Court in 1972. In FURMAN V. GEORGIA: THE DEATH PENALTY CASE, author D. J. Herda examines the ideas and arguments behind this landmark case. Presented in a lively, thought-provoking overview, Herda brings to life the people and events of this controversial decision and sheds light on the current controversy still raging across the country today.