The Encyclopedia of Civil Rights in America is a comprehensive reference source on the human rights and civil liberties that are legally recognized in the US. The US Consitution and the Bill of Rights define individual rights for Americans. The successive amendments to the Constitution and Supreme Court decisions further define these rights and relationships while protecting the individual citizen in an ever changing society. The Encyclopedia of Civil Rights in America presents students with lucid, enlightening essays on these fundamental documents, court decisions and laws, while examining the aspects of public and private life they serve to protect, and highlighting those individuals who are and have been influential in defining and interpreting civil rights. It is organized in an easy to use A-Z format, from Abolitionists to the contemporary Zoot Suits riots.