This three-volume work offers a unique, one-stop resource for basic information and historical context on 433 major acts of Congress and U.S. treaties, from the Articles of Confederation through the Homeland Security Act of 2002. These in-depth essays cover both the provenance and the main provisions of these core laws and treaties. Grade 9 Up-An accessible compilation. The informative entries covering 433 laws are arranged chronologically and include such topics as immigration, slavery, welfare, business, labor, privacy, the environment, speech, and homeland security. Discussions address the historical issues surrounding the creation and passage of the legislation, an explanation of a law's provisions, its impact, and related legislation. While a number of these signed essays have appeared in other Salem publications (16 in all), they have been updated and "subheaded to highlight key features of the law in question." Fifty of the essays are new. Entries do not include excerpts but citations to the U.S. Code, U.S. Statutes at Large, and the public law number are provided. Three useful features of the set are: a table of contents listing the legislation by popular name, a categorized index, and a guide to legal resources describing primary sources (with tips on how to locate them and an extensive list of Web sites). An excellent resource for researching current as well as historical topics. Madeleine G. Wright, New Hampton School, NH Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. Part of the Magill's Choice series, U.S. Laws, Acts, and Treaties is a collection of 433 major U.S. acts of Congress and U.S. treaties covering the time period from 1776 through 2002, beginning with the Declaration of Independence and ending with the Homeland Security Act. Those laws and treaties most likely to be a part of classroom discussions were chosen for inclusion. All of the essays except for 50 new ones were compiled and updated from 16 Salem Press reference works published from 1992 through 2002. Coverage includes a wide variety of topics, such as African Americans, civil rights and liberties, education, immigration, the military and national security, religious liberty, and voting and elections. The essays, chronically arranged and varying in length from 500 to 2,000 words, cover the historical origins and main provisions of each law or treaty. Each entry provides alternative popular names (if applicable); the date of enactment or signing; U.S. Code, U.S. Statute, or Public Law number; subject categories; and a brief summary of the act or treaty. Selected sources for further study and see also references conclude each essay. An alphabetical listing of contents by popular name is included in each volume. Volume 3 includes the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution of the United States, and the Amendments to the Constitution. Another important and helpful feature of the volume is a section on legal resources explaining primary sources of the law and how to find them. Web addresses are given for online resources. Mailing addresses, telephone numbers, Web addresses, and e-mail addresses are given for both government organizations and offices and for legal organizations. Many reference works in this area are highly technical or are limited in scope and geared to narrow coverage of a topic, such as education or civil rights. U.S. government online databases are available but require targeted searches. This set presents a good coverage of landmark laws and treaties in a concise, easy-to-read, and easy-to-use work. It is geared toward high-school and undergraduate students but would also make a useful and functional reference tool for public libraries. RBB Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved Used Book in Good Condition