Privilege and Creative Destruction: The Charles River Bridge Case [Paperback]

Stanley I. Kutler (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0801839831 | ISBN-13: 978-0801839832 | Publication Date: December 1, 1989

In this now-classic work in legal and constitutional theory, Stanley Kutler examines one of the Supreme Court's most celebrated decisions: the right of the state of Massachusetts to erect a free bridge over the Charles River in 1837--even though the state had previously chartered a privately owned toll bridge at the same location. (Legal Reference)

Editorial Reviews

Review

A new edition of Kutler's classic work, in which he analyzes the origins, context, and impact of the Charles River Bridge case, in which the Supreme Court ruled that the state of Massachusetts had the right to erect a free bridge over the Charles River even though it had previously chartered a privately owned toll bridge at the same location. Kutler argues that the... case is a landmark instance of 'creative destruction' by the judiciary, whereby the Court permitted new community needs to supersede previously held property rights.

(Law and Social Inquiry )

Richly detailed and methodically reasoned... Highly recommended for all students of legal history.

(Bimonthly Review of Law Books )

Product Details

• Paperback: 208 pages
• Publisher: The Johns Hopkins University Press (December 1, 1989)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0801839831
• ISBN-13: 978-0801839832
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.5 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #796,802 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Fascinating look at the origin of corporate law, October 4, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Privilege and Creative Destruction: The Charles River Bridge Case (Paperback)

Kutler's book provides a very interesting look at the Charles River Bridge case, a monumental period in American Law that at once signaled the development of modern corporate law and showed the beginnings of modernity in American jurisprudence. Kutler takes a thorough look at not only the legal but also the social aspects of the case, without being overly dry or scholarly.