Peter J. Albert

Looking around him in 1906, Samuel Gompers saw a labor movement beset by opponents who, he said, "represent neither conscience nor humanity, but rather greed and avarice." This installment in the multivolume documentary history of the nation's premier labor leader spotlights a pivotal period in the AFL's development. "The editors have done their job well, succeeding admirably in their aim of presenting a multidimensional portrait of Gompers and his era." -- Bernard Elbaum, Journal of Economic History "A distinguished and invaluable collection." -- Bruce Laurie, Industrial and Labor Relations Review Supported by the National Historical Publications and Records Commission and the University of Maryland at College Park

The essays in this collection set the Bill of Rights in context by tracing its historical lineages and establishing the political context for its adoption by the states. They point out the differences between Federalist fears of anarchy and Antifederalist fears of tyranny, as eventually reconcilable, and examine how particular functional dimensions of the various rights were popularly conceived. The volume concludes with a comparative examination of the American and French experiences with the bill of rights that supports those scholars who argue for the critical role played by the Constitution's first amendments in matters of constitutional jurisprudence.