Books in Courting History series

On June 26, 2015, the United States Supreme Court legalized same-sex marriage in all U.S. states, ruling that the Constitution guarantees marriage rights to all citizens regardless of their sexual preference. The historic decision was hailed as a major victory by LGBT-rights advocates, but opponents condemned it as an assault on traditional values. This timely, essential volume traces the history of the landmark Supreme Court case, including the arguments for and against same-sex marriage that still rage today.

In 1973 and 1974, the University of California, Davis, denied admission to applicant Allan Bakke. He decided to challenge the state university's use of affirmative action, a program that allowed the school to consider racial background as a qualification for acceptance. Although the policy aimed to help disadvantaged groups gain access to competitive higher education institutions, Bakke and his attorneys claimed it often resulted in discrimination against other groups. Your students will explore the complexities of the debates over affirmative action, analyze the legal justifications from the legal system's highest authorities, and ultimately be able to craft their own understandings and arguments surrounding this policy.

With current racial and political tensions, as well as the attention gained by movies like Loving, the 1967 landmark Supreme Court civil rights decision in Loving v. Virginia is still relevant. Primary sources help paint a picture of the cultural norms of a time when interracial marriage was still illegal in many states. Your readers will learn how the case of Loving v. Virginia found its way to the Supreme Court, and explore how it became a decision that changed the future of civil rights and interracial marriage in the United States.

Printer John Peter Zenger went to trial in 1735 for publishing articles that criticized the colonial governor of New York. Help your readers to learn how his case helped shape the First Amendment, the definition of libel, the vindication of truth as a legal defense, and the right of a journalist to protect his or her sources. Readers will learn how Zenger's legacy established norms for the freedom of the press and how it remains relevant in the practice of journalism today.

On June 26, 2015, the United States Supreme Court legalized same-sex marriage in all U.S. states, ruling that the Constitution guarantees marriage rights to all citizens regardless of their sexual preference. The historic decision was hailed as a major victory by LGBT-rights advocates, but opponents condemned it as an assault on traditional values. This timely, essential volume traces the history of the landmark Supreme Court case, including the arguments for and against same-sex marriage that still rage today.

Printer John Peter Zenger went to trial in 1735 for publishing articles that criticized the colonial governor of New York. Help your readers to learn how his case helped shape the First Amendment, the definition of libel, the vindication of truth as a legal defense, and the right of a journalist to protect his or her sources. Readers will learn how Zenger's legacy established norms for the freedom of the press and how it remains relevant in the practice of journalism today.

With current racial and political tensions, as well as the attention gained by movies like Loving, the 1967 landmark Supreme Court civil rights decision in Loving v. Virginia is still relevant. Primary sources help paint a picture of the cultural norms of a time when interracial marriage was still illegal in many states. Your readers will learn how the case of Loving v. Virginia found its way to the Supreme Court, and explore how it became a decision that changed the future of civil rights and interracial marriage in the United States.

In 1892, a Louisiana resident of mixed racial heritage, Homer Plessy, challenged the state's segregation of train cars by boarding a white train car in New Orleans. Plessy's case would go to the Supreme Court, where the separate but equal doctrine, which enabled the enforcement of discriminatory laws for decades to come, was cemented. In this book, students will explore primary sources from events surrounding the case, analyze the use of precedent in setting legal standards, and assess the social and cultural impact of key judicial rulings. Students will understand not only the context for racial segregation policies but also the equality movements these policies inspired through their injustice.

The road to civil rights in the United States went down many paths, but one of the most important ones involved schools. For years, African Americans were forced to study in separate, inferior schools, sentencing many of them to a life of poverty without hope of upward mobility. This volume allows readers to examine how that outlook changed in the middle of the twentieth century. Readers will learn why the old system went unchallenged for so long and how the schools in the United States finally opened their doors to all.

The road to civil rights in the United States went down many paths, but one of the most important ones involved schools. For years, African Americans were forced to study in separate, inferior schools, sentencing many of them to a life of poverty without hope of upward mobility. This volume allows readers to examine how that outlook changed in the middle of the twentieth century. Readers will learn why the old system went unchallenged for so long and how the schools in the United States finally opened their doors to all.