Neglected Stories (The Constitution and Family Values)

In a powerful challenge to the belief that the Constitution has nothing to do with the individual freedoms that comprise family rights, Peggy Cooper Davis argues here that the constitutional amendments after the Civil War reflect a profound appreciation of the political, social, and personal worth of family autonomy. She draws upon what she calls the "motivating stories" of the Fourteenth Amendment to show that the Reconstruction legislators who sponsored it understood family rights as aspects of liberty that were fundamental to the proper definition of freedom and citizenship. This new understanding of family rights developed as men and women - black and white, Southerners and Northerners - came to appreciate the enormity of slavery's denial, even destruction, of family life. Davis also explores the "doctrinal stories" the Supreme Court has told to justify or strike down restrictions on liberty with respect to work, marriage, procreation, parenting, and sexuality and family planning - and the stories of the litigants who wanted to live, work, marry, love, and parent as they chose. These "neglected stories" are woven together in a strong new constitutional argument that gives us at long last a framework in which we can have sensible social and political debate about just what we mean when we say "family values."

While major retailers like Amazon may carry Neglected Stories (The Constitution and Family Values), we specialize in bulk book sales and offer personalized service from our friendly, book-smart team based in Portland, Oregon. We’re proud to offer a Price Match Guarantee and a streamlined ordering experience from people who truly care.

We’re trusted by over 75,000 customers, many of whom return time and again. Want proof? Just check out our 25,000+ customer reviews—real feedback from people who love how we do business.

Prefer to talk to a real person? Our Book Specialists are here Monday–Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. PST and ready to help with your bulk order of Neglected Stories (The Constitution and Family Values).