The Pig Farmer's Daughter and Other Tales of American Justice

Episodes of Racism and Sexism in the Courts from 1865 to the Present

Nonfiction, Reference & Language, Law, Jurisprudence, Civil Rights, History, Americas, United States
Cover of the book The Pig Farmer's Daughter and Other Tales of American Justice by Mary Frances Berry, Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group
View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart
Author: Mary Frances Berry ISBN: 9780307797292
Publisher: Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group Publication: July 20, 2011
Imprint: Vintage Language: English
Author: Mary Frances Berry
ISBN: 9780307797292
Publisher: Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group
Publication: July 20, 2011
Imprint: Vintage
Language: English

From the head of the U.S. Civil Rights Commission and noted professor of law and history at the University of Pennsylvania, a groundbreaking book that examines both civil and criminal court cases from the Civil War to the present, to reveal the impact of stereotyping--race, class, gender--on the American legal system.

The question Mary Frances Berry asks: Whose story most strongly influences the making of legal decisions in the American justice system? Using previously unexamined material from state appellate civil and criminal court cases--cases of rape, seduction, and paternity disputes, and cases dealing with murder, inheritance, and property disputes in which sexual relations are at the heart of the story--Berry takes us through two centuries of American case law to show how attitudes toward gender, race, class, and sexuality have materially affected, and continue to affect, judicial decision-making.

Among the many cases Berry discusses:

Alabama, 1867--A white woman sues her husband for divorce in both the lower and state supreme courts because of his sexual relationship with a former slave, and is denied her petition on the basis that a sexual relationship between a white man and a black woman is "of no consequence."

New York, 1932--In a surprising victory, the longtime mistress of a theater owner successfully contests her lover's will and proves her right to inherit a wife's portion of the estate.

Texas, 1984--A suit by a woman against her female lover ends in a decision that allows the court to avoid acknowledging the existence of a lesbian relationship.

And, in the 1990s, we see the cases of William Kennedy Smith, Mike Tyson, and O. J. Simpson in a new context.

Moving stories, shocking stories, ironic stories, tragic stories--a book that fascinates in terms of its human drama, by its demonstration of the ways in which prejudice affects justice, and by its account of how the law has evolved (or hasn't) as our racial, social, and sexual attitudes have changed.

View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart

From the head of the U.S. Civil Rights Commission and noted professor of law and history at the University of Pennsylvania, a groundbreaking book that examines both civil and criminal court cases from the Civil War to the present, to reveal the impact of stereotyping--race, class, gender--on the American legal system.

The question Mary Frances Berry asks: Whose story most strongly influences the making of legal decisions in the American justice system? Using previously unexamined material from state appellate civil and criminal court cases--cases of rape, seduction, and paternity disputes, and cases dealing with murder, inheritance, and property disputes in which sexual relations are at the heart of the story--Berry takes us through two centuries of American case law to show how attitudes toward gender, race, class, and sexuality have materially affected, and continue to affect, judicial decision-making.

Among the many cases Berry discusses:

Alabama, 1867--A white woman sues her husband for divorce in both the lower and state supreme courts because of his sexual relationship with a former slave, and is denied her petition on the basis that a sexual relationship between a white man and a black woman is "of no consequence."

New York, 1932--In a surprising victory, the longtime mistress of a theater owner successfully contests her lover's will and proves her right to inherit a wife's portion of the estate.

Texas, 1984--A suit by a woman against her female lover ends in a decision that allows the court to avoid acknowledging the existence of a lesbian relationship.

And, in the 1990s, we see the cases of William Kennedy Smith, Mike Tyson, and O. J. Simpson in a new context.

Moving stories, shocking stories, ironic stories, tragic stories--a book that fascinates in terms of its human drama, by its demonstration of the ways in which prejudice affects justice, and by its account of how the law has evolved (or hasn't) as our racial, social, and sexual attitudes have changed.

More books from Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group

Cover of the book Great Issues in American History, Vol. I by Mary Frances Berry
Cover of the book American Colossus by Mary Frances Berry
Cover of the book Dual Citizens by Mary Frances Berry
Cover of the book The Juice by Mary Frances Berry
Cover of the book Farewell Espana by Mary Frances Berry
Cover of the book The Color Master by Mary Frances Berry
Cover of the book Whores on the Hill by Mary Frances Berry
Cover of the book Novels, Tales, Journeys by Mary Frances Berry
Cover of the book The Fatal Englishman by Mary Frances Berry
Cover of the book Notes from Underground by Mary Frances Berry
Cover of the book Our Nig by Mary Frances Berry
Cover of the book My Brother's Husband, Volumes 1 & 2 by Mary Frances Berry
Cover of the book Cruel World by Mary Frances Berry
Cover of the book Tuff by Mary Frances Berry
Cover of the book The Winshaw Legacy by Mary Frances Berry
We use our own "cookies" and third party cookies to improve services and to see statistical information. By using this website, you agree to our Privacy Policy