Author Archives: leerolandi

Brown II (1955)

Following the crucial Brown v. Board of Education unanimous decision of 1954 which overturned Plessy v. Ferguson, and declared that racial segregation in public schools violated the Equal Protection clause of the 14th Amendment, Northern border state cities attempted to desegregate … Continue reading

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Ex Parte Vallandigham

As part of Daniel Farber’s book, Lincoln’s Constitution, he uses the Ex Parte Vallandigham Case of 1863 to demonstrate how Civil War military authority played a role in inhibiting free speech.  This case is important to our understanding of Lincoln’s questionable Civil War … Continue reading

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Elbridge Gerry: The Trusted Skeptic of the Constitutional Convention

Elbridge Gerry was an important figure in the Constitutional Convention, best known for his undying skepticism of centralized government power.  It was this skepticism that ultimately led him to not sign the Constitution on September 17, 1787. Gerry’s biographer even … Continue reading

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