Description
In this first historical account of the District of New Jersey, Mark Edward Lender traces its evolution from its origins through the turn of the twenty-first century. Drawing on extensive original records, including those in the National Archives, he shows how it used to be at the district court level that the new nation first tested the role of federal law and authority. From these early decades through these days, the cases tried in New Jersey stand as prime examples of the legal and constitutional developments that have shaped the course of federal justice. At critical moments in our history, the courts participated in the Alien and Sedition Acts, the transition from Federalist to Jeffersonian political authority, the balancing of state and federal roles throughout the Civil War and Reconstruction, and brand new controversies over civil rights and affirmative action.
Situating the District of New Jersey in the broader context of U.S. history, Lender shows how the state’s federal courts have long reflected the ebb and waft of American legal, social, political, and economic developments.