On Trial

The trials and hearings presented in the two volumes of On Trial capture much of American history in the intensity of courtroom confrontation and argument. Judicial proceedings have long fascinated both historians and the general public. Newspapers give extensive coverage both to trials that command national attention and to the many that appeal to local interest. Examining these trials and hearings makes possible not only an understanding of the larger issues surrounding them, but a deepened perception of the society in which each occurred. As Natalie Zemon Davis writes, "a remarkable dispute can sometimes uncover motivations and values that are lost in the welter of the everyday.” On Trial is the first anthology based on edited transcripts of trials and hearing that is intended for use in American history survey classrooms. 1. Reconstructing in the South: The Lynching of Jim Williams, 1871.

2. Women's Rights: The Susan B. Anthony Trial, 1873.

3. The West: The Trial of Frank James for Train Robbery and Murder, 1883.

4. Labor's martyrs: The Haymarket Trial, 1886.

5. Shame of the Cities: The Edward Butler Trial, 1902.

6. Progressive Jurisprudence: Muller v. Oregon, 1908.

7. Dissent During World War I: The Kate O'Hare Trial, 1919.

8. Evolution and the Bible: The Scopes Trial, 1925.

9. Racial Justice: The Scottsboro Boys, 1931-37.

10. Red Scare: The Army-McCarthy Hearings, 1954.

11. Outlawing Segregation: Brown v. Board of Education, 1954.

12. The Abortion Controversy: Roe v. Wade, 1973.

13. Life and Death: In the Matter of Karen Ann Quinlan, 1976.

14. Race and Gender: The Clarence Thomas Confirmation Hearing, 1991.

The late Robert D. Marcus was Professor of History at SUNY, Brockport, from 1983-2000.

Anthony Marcus teaches in the School of Anthropology, Geography, and Environmental Studies at the University of Melbourne in Australia. He has published on globalization and culture change (Anthropology For A Small Planet, 1996) and American history, and his current writing focuses on Mexican migrants in the northeastern United States, poverty and public policy, the politics of the culture concept in development, and comparative mestizajes.

The trials and hearings presented in the two volumes of On Trial capture much of American history in the intensity of courtroom confrontation and argument. Judicial proceedings have long fascinated both historians and the general public. Newspapers give extensive coverage both to trials that command national attention and to the many that appeal to local interest. Examining these trials and hearings makes possible not only an understanding of the larger issues surrounding them, but a deepened perception of the society in which each occurred. As Natalie Zemon Davis writes, "a remarkable dispute can sometimes uncover motivations and values that are lost in the welter of the everyday.” On Trial is the first anthology based on edited transcripts of trials and hearing that is intended for use in American history survey classrooms.