This second edition of Great American Trials details approximately 360 of the most compelling courtroom battles in American history in two volumes. Volume 1 covers trials from 1637-1949 and Volume 2 covers trials from 1950-2001. Illustrated entries cover trials that were historically and/or legally significant as well as those that gained notoriety and large public interest. Featuring trials from the 1800s to the present, entries cover the principals involved, the crime charged, the verdict and sentence, and the significance and impact of each trial. Features include a bibliography, further reading list and detailed keyword index.