Obtaining a More Perfect Union : A Historical Analysis of the 1967 Detroit Riots within a Constitutional Framework.
(2024) HISK37 20232History
- Abstract
- During the 1960s, the United States of America experienced a surge of riots and inner turmoil, with the Detroit Riots of 1967 being one of the more violent instances. In a period of heavy turbulence, the need to maintain law and order whilst maintaining the various freedoms laid out by the Constitution became crossed. This essay thus explores the Detroit Riots of 1967 within a constitutional framework, in order to better understand the relationship between constitutional law and times of turbulence. Were the promised freedoms laid out by the Constitution upheld and was the integrity of the Constitution upheld within the domains of security, justice, and reforms? To answer these questions, this essay furthers the research headed by Geoff... (More)
- During the 1960s, the United States of America experienced a surge of riots and inner turmoil, with the Detroit Riots of 1967 being one of the more violent instances. In a period of heavy turbulence, the need to maintain law and order whilst maintaining the various freedoms laid out by the Constitution became crossed. This essay thus explores the Detroit Riots of 1967 within a constitutional framework, in order to better understand the relationship between constitutional law and times of turbulence. Were the promised freedoms laid out by the Constitution upheld and was the integrity of the Constitution upheld within the domains of security, justice, and reforms? To answer these questions, this essay furthers the research headed by Geoff Ward, Nancy C. Marcus, and Leo P. Martinez, by instrumentalizing the Constitution as an analytical tool. Using a double-method approach, a qualitative content analysis was initially applied to the historical sources, followed by a constitutional analysis of the sources, of which a special focus was brought to Article IV, Amendment I and Amendments IV-VIII of the Constitution. The sources used for the investigation include legislative documents, court documents, and recorded mediums, and the theoretical framework is comprised of the “Rule of Law” theory and the “Living Constitution” theory. In answering the overall question of whether or not the integrity of the Constitution was upheld by legal authorities during the 1967 riots in Detroit, the historical investigation argues for a nuanced answer, an answer which differentiates between the legal authorities and the enforcers of the authorities. The investigation indicates that there were instances of both upholding and abandoning the freedoms promised by the Constitution. The significance of these results can be found in instances relating to the modern-day Black Lives Matter movement, in which this essay highlights the need for greater research on the relationship between the Constitution and the broader Civil Rights Movement. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
http://lup.lub.lu.se/student-papers/record/9151448
- author
- Neubacher, Victoria LU
- supervisor
- organization
- course
- HISK37 20232
- year
- 2024
- type
- M2 - Bachelor Degree
- subject
- keywords
- Legal History, U.S. History, United States of America, Constitution, Detroit Riots of 1967, Civil Rights Movement, Riots, Race, Law
- language
- English
- id
- 9151448
- date added to LUP
- 2024-10-21 14:10:59
- date last changed
- 2024-10-21 14:10:59
@misc{9151448,
abstract = {{During the 1960s, the United States of America experienced a surge of riots and inner turmoil, with the Detroit Riots of 1967 being one of the more violent instances. In a period of heavy turbulence, the need to maintain law and order whilst maintaining the various freedoms laid out by the Constitution became crossed. This essay thus explores the Detroit Riots of 1967 within a constitutional framework, in order to better understand the relationship between constitutional law and times of turbulence. Were the promised freedoms laid out by the Constitution upheld and was the integrity of the Constitution upheld within the domains of security, justice, and reforms? To answer these questions, this essay furthers the research headed by Geoff Ward, Nancy C. Marcus, and Leo P. Martinez, by instrumentalizing the Constitution as an analytical tool. Using a double-method approach, a qualitative content analysis was initially applied to the historical sources, followed by a constitutional analysis of the sources, of which a special focus was brought to Article IV, Amendment I and Amendments IV-VIII of the Constitution. The sources used for the investigation include legislative documents, court documents, and recorded mediums, and the theoretical framework is comprised of the “Rule of Law” theory and the “Living Constitution” theory. In answering the overall question of whether or not the integrity of the Constitution was upheld by legal authorities during the 1967 riots in Detroit, the historical investigation argues for a nuanced answer, an answer which differentiates between the legal authorities and the enforcers of the authorities. The investigation indicates that there were instances of both upholding and abandoning the freedoms promised by the Constitution. The significance of these results can be found in instances relating to the modern-day Black Lives Matter movement, in which this essay highlights the need for greater research on the relationship between the Constitution and the broader Civil Rights Movement.}},
author = {{Neubacher, Victoria}},
language = {{eng}},
note = {{Student Paper}},
title = {{Obtaining a More Perfect Union : A Historical Analysis of the 1967 Detroit Riots within a Constitutional Framework.}},
year = {{2024}},
}