Legal Formalism Progressivism in U.S. from 1865 to 1930 free essay sample

Defines legal philosophies their impact on judicial social rights of women blacks. LEGAL FORMALISM AND PROGRESSIVISM: TREATMENT OF WOMEN AND AFRICAN-AMERICANS (1865-1930) This research discusses the role of legal formalism and legal progressivism in the treatment of women and African-Americans between 1865 and 1930. The debate over legal philosophy which was played out during this period figured prominently in the outcome of important cases involving women and blacks. That controversy was a symptom of deeper social divisions which inhibited progress during this period. The inroads made by legal progressivism on legal formalism set the stage for later gains by these groups. Law as Barrier to Social Progress in the late 19th Century In the decades which followed the Civil War, Americans were primarily preoccupied with the explosive economic growth that..