Safeguards of Justice: A Legal Timeline of the Rights of the Accused

Explore the origins and progression of Fourth, Fifth, Sixth, and Eighth Amendment rights.

Learning Activities

These learning materials facilitate a deep dive into important aspects of American legal history.

The Inquiry Packs are built around primary sources from the Library of Congress and designed to accompany the timeline above. Each pack includes a background reading, several primary sources (documents, articles, images), discussion questions, an inquiry question, and an inquiry extension question.

Balancing the Rights of the Accused and Public Safety

Capital Punishment and the Eighth Amendment

Technology and the Fourth Amendment

The Scottsboro Trial and the Rights of the Accused

The Evolution of the Juvenile Justice System