The People's Charter: The Pursuit of Rights in America

Be the first to write a review

Overview

Why did the same men who ratified the notion of "unalienable rights" implicitly withhold rights from slaves? Would the framers of the Constitution recognize the right of workers to strike or of women to have abortions? Does the First Amendment protect the photographs of Robert Mapplethorpe?

These are just some of the questions raised in A People's Charter, a panoramic and often enthralling history of the ideas that gave birth to the Bill of Rights--and the often ferocious ...

See more details below
Available through our Marketplace sellers.
See All Options
Other sellers (Paperback)
  • All (12) from $1.99   
  • New (2) from $50.00   
  • Used (10) from $1.99   
Close
Sort by
Page 1 of 1
Showing All
Note: Marketplace items are not eligible for any BN.com coupons and promotions
$50.00
bluehouse
Seller since 2013

Feedback rating:

(39)

Condition:

New — never opened or used in original packaging.

Like New — packaging may have been opened. A "Like New" item is suitable to give as a gift.

Very Good — may have minor signs of wear on packaging but item works perfectly and has no damage.

Good — item is in good condition but packaging may have signs of shelf wear/aging or torn packaging. All specific defects should be noted in the Comments section associated with each item.

Acceptable — item is in working order but may show signs of wear such as scratches or torn packaging. All specific defects should be noted in the Comments section associated with each item.

Used — An item that has been opened and may show signs of wear. All specific defects should be noted in the Comments section associated with each item.

Refurbished — A used item that has been renewed or updated and verified to be in proper working condition. Not necessarily completed by the original manufacturer.

New
Brand new.

Ships from: acton, MA

Usually ships in 1-2 business days

  • •Standard, 48 States
$105.00
bluehouse
Seller since 2013

Feedback rating:

(39)

Condition: New
Brand new.

Ships from: acton, MA

Usually ships in 1-2 business days

  • •Standard, 48 States
Page 1 of 1
Showing All
Close
Sort by
Sending request ...

More About This Book

Overview

Why did the same men who ratified the notion of "unalienable rights" implicitly withhold rights from slaves? Would the framers of the Constitution recognize the right of workers to strike or of women to have abortions? Does the First Amendment protect the photographs of Robert Mapplethorpe?

These are just some of the questions raised in A People's Charter, a panoramic and often enthralling history of the ideas that gave birth to the Bill of Rights--and the often ferocious struggles that have erupted around it in the last 200 years. From the abolition movement to the racial, sexual, and economic battlegrounds of the present day, the book is a lucid, vital portrait of the ways in which Americans have defined and debated freedom.

Read More Show Less

Editorial Reviews

Publishers Weekly - Publisher's Weekly
Published on the 200th anniversary of the ratification of the Bill of Rights, this grand, sweeping chronicle of the struggle for political and economic justice concludes that rights measures in the U.S. have been ``too little, too late, too short-lived.'' Pulitzer Prize-winning historian James MacGregor Burns ( The Crossroads of Freedom ) and Stewart Burns ( Social Movements of the 1960s ) examine our tenuous hold on freedom in a powerful narrative stretching from the 13 colonies' exclusionist voting practices to Reagan's campaign against the First Amendment reinforced by private ``new right'' groups and fundamentalists. They also analyze antislavery and workers' struggles, the detention of more than 100,000 Japanese-Americans in U.S. ``concentration camps'' (as FDR called them) during WW II, McCarthy-era abuses, civil rights, women's activism and encroachments by the FBI on personal freedoms. The authors point out that rights long accepted in other countries--to free, adequate health care; to a job; to child care--are largely lacking in the U.S. They envisage a ``Great Majority'' dependent on women's leadership coming to power and establishing a massive rights program. (Dec.)
Library Journal
The Burnses present a panoramic account of American history as a struggle for rights. According to this account, the struggle did not occur in the courts primarily, with brave individuals pressing their solitary claims. Rather, the actualization of rights has demanded concerted political action by groups and social movements. These struggles in turn have led some groups to seek recognition for new rights or the redefinition of recognized rights. Thus, the authors argue that the nature and substance of rights is itself a matter for political debate. This assertion is too broad--not all political claims are best understood as rights claims ( e.g., the labor movement has more to do with economic distribution than rights per se)--and there's a lot more going on than the struggle for rights in American history. Nonetheless, this volume forms a valuable corrective to excessively legalistic accounts. James MacGregor Burns has a reputation for fine descriptive writing, and the story is well told. -- G. Alan Tarr, Rutgers Univ., Camden, N.J.
Read More Show Less

Product Details

  • ISBN-13: 9780679741725
  • Publisher: Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group
  • Publication date: 7/27/1993
  • Pages: 577
  • Product dimensions: 5.24 (w) x 7.99 (h) x 1.10 (d)

Table of Contents

Prologue 3
Part 1
Chapter 1 The Birth of Rights 11
Defenders of the Right 14
Rights for All? 18
Laws of Freedom and Happiness 24
Chapter 2 The new World of Rights 29
Rights--Cornucopia for Some 31
An Eruption of Rights 40
James Madison's Political Somersault 51
Consensus and Conflict 61
Chapter 3 The Revolutions of Rights 71
Industrializing Rights 73
Changing Rights: Property and Happiness 79
Property Rights in the Land of Eden 88
Equal Rights: Law and Politics 92
Part 2
Chapter 4 Crossing to Jerusalem 103
Which Road to Freedom? 105
Themselves Strike the Blow 113
Bottom Rail on Top 121
Whither the Promised Land? 132
Chapter 5 Bonds of Womanhood 137
The Aristocracy of Sex 140
The New Departure 150
Democracy Should Begin at Home 160
Chapter 6 Rights to Bread and Roses 171
Fighting for Time 174
Solidarity Forever 180
Labor's Emerging Bill of Rights 188
Part 3
Chapter 7 The Reconstruction of Rights 197
The Shepherd and the Wolf 199
Education: A Birthright? 213
Root, Hog, or Die? 223
Chapter 8 New Deal--New Rights? 237
Left, Right, and Center 239
Labor's Magna Carta? 247
Toward an Economic Bill of Rights 258
Chapter 9 Hot War, Cold War: Rights Besieged 268
"Arms in the Defense of Liberty" 270
The Pursuit of National Security 280
Centers of Intolerance 293
Part 4
Chapter 10 Everybody Sing Freedom 305
Freedom Now! 308
Is This America? 318
Economic Justice 325
Plural But Equal 335
Chapter 11 Rights to Liberation: Women at the Cutting Edge 339
Are Equal Rights Enough? 340
To Own the Flesh We Stand In 350
The Expanding Universe of Rights 361
Part 5
Chapter 12 The Crossfire of Rights 373
First Amendment: The Fixed Star? 374
The People's Right to Know 385
Toward a Cultural Bill of Rights? 396
Ronald Reagan's Bill of Rights 405
Chapter 13 A Global Bill of Human Rights 416
The Roosevelt Legacy 418
Moral Imperatives and Practical Needs 424
Three Worlds of Rights 434
Chapter 14 Transforming Rights 445
Contracting Rights 448
Nurturing Rights 454
Empowering Rights 460
Epilogue: the Endless Struggle 469
Notes 473
Acknowledgments 559
Index 561
Read More Show Less

Customer Reviews

Be the first to write a review
( 0 )
Rating Distribution

5 Star

(0)

4 Star

(0)

3 Star

(0)

2 Star

(0)

1 Star

(0)

Your Rating:

Review Guidelines
Add Recommendations
Your Name: Create a Pen Name or

Barnes & Noble.com Review Rules

Our reader reviews allow you to share your comments on titles you liked, or didn't, with others. By submitting an online review, you are representing to Barnes & Noble.com that all information contained in your review is original and accurate in all respects, and that the submission of such content by you and the posting of such content by Barnes & Noble.com does not and will not violate the rights of any third party. Please follow the rules below to help ensure that your review can be posted.

Reviews by Our Customers Under the Age of 13

We highly value and respect everyone's opinion concerning the titles we offer. However, we cannot allow persons under the age of 13 to have accounts at BN.com or to post customer reviews. Please see our Terms of Use for more details.

What to exclude from your review:

Please do not write about reviews, commentary, or information posted on the product page. If you see any errors in the information on the product page, please send us an email.

Reviews should not contain any of the following:

  • - HTML tags, profanity, obscenities, vulgarities, or comments that defame anyone
  • - Time-sensitive information such as tour dates, signings, lectures, etc.
  • - Single-word reviews. Other people will read your review to discover why you liked or didn't like the title. Be descriptive.
  • - Comments focusing on the author or that may ruin the ending for others
  • - Phone numbers, addresses, URLs
  • - Pricing and availability information or alternative ordering information
  • - Advertisements or commercial solicitation

Reminder:

  • - By submitting a review, you grant to Barnes & Noble.com and its sublicensees the royalty-free, perpetual, irrevocable right and license to use the review in accordance with the Barnes & Noble.com Terms of Use.
  • - Barnes & Noble.com reserves the right not to post any review -- particularly those that do not follow the terms and conditions of these Rules. Barnes & Noble.com also reserves the right to remove any review at any time without notice.
  • - See Terms of Use for other conditions and disclaimers.
Search for Products You'd Like to Recommend

Recommend other products that relate to your review. Just search for them below and share!

Create a Pen Name

Your Pen Name is your unique identity on BN.com. It will appear on the reviews you write and other website activities. Your Pen Name cannot be edited, changed or deleted once submitted.

 
Your Pen Name can be any combination of alphanumeric characters (plus - and _), and must be at least two characters long.

Continue Anonymously
    If you find inappropriate content, please report it to Barnes & Noble
    Why is this product inappropriate?
    Comments (optional)