The Contract Clause: A Constitutional History

by James W. Ely Jr.

Few provisions of the American Constitution have had such a tumultuous history as the contract clause. Prompted by efforts in a number of states to interfere with debtor-creditor relationships after the Revolution, the clause--Article I, Section 10--reads that no state shall "pass any. . . Law impairing the Obligation of Contracts." Honoring contractual commitments, in the framers' view, would serve the public interest to encourage commerce and economic...

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0700623078
• ISBN13: 9780700623075
• Release Date: October 2016
• Publisher: University Press of Kansas
• Length: 384 Pages
• Weight: 1.60 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.2" x 6.3" x 9.2"