Famous Court Cases - Set of 5

The Amistad Mutiny

In 1839, a group of enslaved Africans bound for Cuba mutinied on their ship, the Amistad. They attempted to sail back to Africa, but ended up in the waters off New York, where they were recaptured and put on trial. This book explores the history behind the case, the trial, and the movie, Amistad, based on their fight for freedom.

The Bounty Mutiny

The Bounty was a British ship visiting Tahiti in 1789 when some of the crew overthrew the captain, William Bligh, and set him adrift in a tiny boat with sailors loyal to him. The mutiny resulted in a number of trials–both of men who mutinied and of Bligh for losing command of the ship. These fascinating events have been the source for numerous Hollywood movies.

Evolution on Trial

In July 1925, a historic trial took place in Dayton, Tennessee, when John Scopes, a high school teacher, was charged with teaching the theory of evolution to his biology class in defiance of state law. Almost a hundred years later, the issue of evolution and education is still being debated.

Presidential Power on Trial

The Watergate burglary in 1972, in which men linked to the White House broke into the headquarters of the Democratic Party, led to the downfall of President Richard Nixon. This book tells the fascinating and dramatic story, explaining the complex political and legal points.

The Right to Counsel

In 1961, an unemployed drifter named Clarence Earl Gideon was arrested in Florida and charged with burglarizing a pool hall. In court, Gideon asked for a lawyer, since he could not afford one, but he was turned down. Gideon was found guilty and sentenced to five years in prison. Believing the U.S. Constitution was on his side, Gideon took his case all the way to the Supreme Court.