02336 2200217 4500001002100000005001500021008004100036020001800077035001900095041000800114082001100122084001700133100001200150700002800162245009600190260002000286300004200306520162700348650005601975500008702031INLIS00000000000913520200508204652200508||||||||| | ||| |||| ||eng|| a9781438126777 0010-0520009135 aeng0 a324.73 a324.73/SCH/E0 aSchultz0 aDavid A. (David Andrew)00aEncyclopedia of the United States Constitution : Facts on File Library of American History: aNew York,c2009 a2 v. (xvii, 904 p.)b: ill. ;c24 cm. aSupreme Court Chief Justice Salmon P. Chase credited in 1869 with preserving “an indestructible Union, composed of indestructible States.” The more than 700 entries, written by academics in plain English, show that the U.S. Constitution might well have been far better than the Articles of Confederation it replaced, but it was and is far from perfect—as evidenced by the multiple amendments and even more numerous efforts to amend it. In the preface, editor Schultz reminds us that the Constitution was adopted during a period of grave emergency and continues to evolve “to respond to all changes that have occurred throughout U.S. history.” Over time it was adapted to accommodate wars and major cultural changes, and it is now being reinterpreted to grapple with technological developments, terrorism, and global interdependence. The alphabetically arranged entries cover terms, events, people, landmark cases, and issues that help explain the Constitution’s history. The appendix provides the Declaration of Independence, the Articles of Confederation, the Constitution, and the Bill of Rights as well as “Other Amendments to the Constitution,” a “U.S. Constitution Time Line,” and instructions on locating court cases. The selected bibliography points researchers to solid print sources, and an index helps users find relevant entries, as does the time line. Recommended for libraries that serve persons interested in this topic. The information is available elsewhere, but it is convenient to have it compiled and presented logically in layman’s terms. Also available as an e-book. --Sally Jane 0aConstitutional law --United States --Encyclopedias. ae-book