Students follow resource links to study the history of art censorship in the US. They study the work of the FCC and the Hip-Hop 4 Peace campaign.

In this Supreme Court worksheet, students respond to 14 short answer questions regarding equal protection and gay marriage issues in the United States.

Students read an annotated excerpt of Lincoln's speech. In this government lesson, students discuss questions related to the speech to identify Lincoln's ideas to preserve the Union. Students may write optionally write their responses to...

Students examine the California quarter reverse and discuss conservation measures. They discover the concept of conservation by a snack-eating experimen and relate it to John Muir's conservation interests. After evaluating the design...

Students discuss two computerized options to change the current U.S. government. In this Constitutional Convention instructional activity, students write a statement advocating for one of the choices and participate in a mock modern...

Young scholars examine a specific environmental concern to their local community. In groups, they explore how the justice system would deal with the problem by participating in a treasure hunt. They review the meaning of federal and...

This article provides a detailed history of common law, as well as information on its principles, the differences between common law and civil law, and modern-day common law.

This site details the controversial issues regarding slavery and the effects they had on the Civil War amendments as well as on the fifth amendment. The site discusses events such as the Dred Scott case, the addition of the Civil War...

This website provides a well-organized introduction to the differences between civil and criminal law. Addresses topics such as "punishment," "burden of proof," "protections for criminal defendants" and "ignorance of the law." Examples...

Contains the remarks of U.S. Chief Justice William Rehnquist concerning the Ex Parte Milligan case, the suspension of the writ of habeas corpus during the Civil War and the present, and the Indianapolis Treason Trials.

Learn about the two types of court cases - criminal cases and civil cases - and what types of crimes and disputes fall into each category.

This site describes the jurisdiction of the Federal Court system. The site breaks the court's jurisdiction into three main areas of institutional conflict: Federal Restraint of State Courts by Injunctions, Habeas Corpus: Scope of the...

Explains how Jim Crow laws came to be created in the South and what it meant for African Americans. Discusses the Plessy v. Ferguson Supreme Court case, how its decision was eventually overturned, and the events that brought an end to...

In 1960, four students at North Carolina A&T University decided to protest segregation laws by staging a sit-in at the Woolworth store lunch counter. Their action sparked a nation-wide protest by students that spread from just...

Although the Constitution is the supreme law of the land, its interpretation is open to many opinions, causing great controversies. Students can read the Constitution as well as the many issues that surround the document. If that proves...

Read about the law suit against Boston Public Schools claiming that the schools were segregated in fact, although not by law. See the results of busing and read the addendum about the status of integration in Boston at this time. The...

Provides a timeline of the civil rights movement from the Dred Scott Supreme Court case in 1857 up to the affirmative action policy instated at the University of Michigan Law School in 1992.

How well can you decide the balance of civil liberties? Review three case summaries as well as the laws and facts about each case and arguments, and then make a ruling.

Resource explains how during the time of the Civil War the Supreme Court used Article I, Section 10, Clause 1 of the U.S. Constitution to show that the Confederation formed by the seceding States had no legal existence. The site also...

Provides a brief summary and the text of Chief Justice Brennan's opinion of the Supreme Court in this case involving libel.

Howard University had a direct role in the Brown v Board of Education and has continued its research in the 50 years since working to continue and improve the rulings of the case. This is a free resource providing a collection of court...

A detailed account of the history of African Americans is presented in this article. Divided by main topics or periods of time, the coming of slavery to America is the first focus. Followed by plantation life and escapes to freedom and...

At the Cornell Law School you can read a very simple definition of the legal term "tort" and read about the 1993 Supreme Court case "Smith v. United States."

An in-depth look at the different types of contempt of court, in the United States legal system.