Muller v. Oregon: A Brief History with Documents (Bedford Series in History and Culture) [Paperback]

Nancy Woloch (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 15, 1996 | ISBN-10: 0312085869 | ISBN-13: 978-0312085865 | Edition: First Edition

In 1908 the Supreme Court unanimously upheld an Oregon law that set a ten-hour limit on the workdays of women in factories and laundries. Using lawyers' briefs, arguments over single-sex protective laws, and other major court decisions, Nancy Woloch examines a moment in which constitutional history, women's history, and progressive politics converged.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Nancy Woloch is the author of Women and the American Experience (2nd ed., 1994); the editor of Early American Women: A Documentary History, 1600-1900 (1992); a coathor of The American Century: a History of the United States since the 1890s (4th ed., 1992); and a coauthor of The Enduring Vision: a History of the American People (3rd ed., 1996). She teaches history and American studies at Barnard College, Columbia University.

Product Details

• Paperback: 206 pages
• Publisher: Bedford/St. Martin's; First Edition edition (April 15, 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0312085869
• ISBN-13: 978-0312085865
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.4 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #275,346 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #19 in Books > Law > Specialties > Labor Law

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Interesting Book, January 12, 2009

By 

William Bradford "hipster818" (Palos Park, IL United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Muller v. Oregon: A Brief History with Documents (Bedford Series in History and Culture) (Paperback)

Nancy Woloch has written, as the title suggest, brief history of Muller v. Oregon. The book is broken up into two halves. The first half deals with the history of Muller and the second half gives primary documents related to Muller and the time period. Woloch lays out a very logical argument and looks at the constitutional issues with Muller and the importance of the "Brandeis Brief" and how the brief was successful over time became less by the time the Court heard Adkins v. Children's Hospital. Woloch also looks at the reactions and results of the Muller decision and the cause and effect with cases that came after Muller. The addition of documents, which make up the second half of the book; the documents help to give greater insight to the history and understanding of not only Muller but of the Court and ideas during the early part of the 20th Century.

I would suggest this book to anyone who has to do research or is interesting in learning about women's history. This book has been extremely helpful in the writing of my maters thesis. The book is easy to read and Woloch makes clear points and is pretty even handed. I did not overly notice a bias one way or the other. There is a wealth of information in the book, yet it is not overwhelming but makes the reader engage with the book and read more. Check it out if you want to gain a brawer understanding of the Lochner Era. If you like this book then check out Paul Kens book Lochner v. New York: Economic Regulation on Trial

Though that's just my two cents.