The Volokh Conspiracy
Mostly law professors | Sometimes contrarian | Often libertarian | Always independent
A Testimonial for Kurt Lash's "The Reconstruction Amendments"
I was able to find a source in five minutes that would have been impossible to search for in the past.
Last week I heartily endorsed Kurt Lash's new two-volume set on the Reconstruction Amendments. Here, let me offer a testimonial.
I am writing about a statute passed after the ratification of the Fourteenth Amendment. During the writing process, I came across a question: did any members of the Reconstruction Congress cite Hamilton's Federalist No. 60? It was such an obscure, but relevant question. Before Kurt's book, it would have been virtually impossible to perform this query. I would have had to walk through thousands of pages of documents in various sources. And who knows if I would even find anything of relevant.
But now with Kurt's book, the query took 5 minutes. I searched my Kindle version of Volume II for "Federalist." Moments later, I found that a member of Congress from Wisconsin cited Federalist No. 60 during the debates over the Fifteenth Amendment. Indeed, he recited from the exact Hamilton passage I was researching. In an instant, I realize how valuable Kurt's books are.
We are all much better off for this valuable set. The price is steep--about $95 for each Kindle version. If you can't afford it, ask your library to get a copy. It will come in handy in ways you cannot even imagine.
