The Laws That Shaped America: Fifteen Acts of Congress and Their Lasting Impact » (New Edition)

For better and sometimes for worse, Congress is a reflection of the aspirations, wants, and priorities of the American people. It reflects the kaleidoscope of special interests and unselfish service to others, of favors sought and sacrifices made. During each two-year session of Congress, thousands of pieces of legislation are proposed, many hundreds are given serious consideration, but far fewer are eventually enacted into law. Most enactments have limited impact, affect few, and are quietly forgotten in the flow of legislative activity. However, a small number of laws have risen to the level of historical consequence. These are the laws that have shaped America, and they are the subject of this book.
Which pieces of legislation were the most significant for the development of the nation? Which have had an immediate or lasting impact on our society? Which laws so affected us that we could not imagine how our lives would be without them? Dennis W. Johnson vividly portrays the story of fifteen major laws enacted over the course of two centuries of American democracy. For each law, he examines the forces and circumstances that led to its enactment--the power struggles between rival interests, the competition between lawmakers and the administration, the compromises and principled stands, and the impact of the legislation and its place in American history.

Preface ix

Acknowledgments xiv

1 Westward Expansion: The Northwest Ordinance of 1787 and the Louisiana Purchase Ratification of 1803 1

2 Slavery and the Territories: The Kansas-Nebraska Act of 1854 35

3 The Promise of Land: The Homestead Act of 1862 and the Morrill Land-Grant College Act of 1862 75

4 Women's Right to Vote: The Nineteenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution (1919) 105

5 Protecting the Working Family: The National Labor Relations Act of 1935 140

6 The Grand Contract: The Social Security Act of 1935 175

7 The Promise to America's Veterans: The GI Bill of 1944 202

8 The Recovery of Western Europe: The Marshall Plan of 1948 229

9 Ribbons of Highway: The Interstate Highway Act of 1956 261

10 Justice, Equality, and Democracy's Promise: The Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965 293

11 Medical Care for the Elderly and Poor: The Medicare and Medicaid Act of 1965 333

12 Protecting the Environment: The National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 367

13 The Laws That Shaped America 394

Appendix: Other Major Legislation 413

Notes 429

Index 509