PROGRESS, STABILITY AND THE STRUGGLE FOR EQUALITY A RAMBLE THROUGH THE EARLY YEARS OF MAINE LAW 1820-1920 BY HUGH G.E. MACMAHON

PROGRESS, STABILITY AND THE STRUGGLE FOR EQUALITY
PROGRESS, STABILITY AND THE STRUGGLE FOR EQUALITY
Item# 9780966401547
$28.00

In an engaging and thoughtful style that makes the law accessible to lawyers and the general public alike, Hugh MacMahon presents the story of the development of early Maine law across a broad range of topics and identifies three themes that stand out most prominently in that history – economic progress, social stability and the struggle for equal rights under the law, especially as regards race, gender and religion. The author explains how the evolving law in Maine’s early years played out against the backdrop of old rules from the past running up against a society undergoing radical transformation brought on by momentous historical events that included the industrial revolution and the Civil War. This book presents an empathetic picture of ordinary citizens and judges grappling with the inevitable tensions arising as locomotives eclipsed the horse and buggy, factories replaced the craftsman’s workbench, and emerging views of equal rights clashed with traditional notions of social stability. Paperback. 346 pages.