This work investigates the complex and often contradictory relationship between the United States Constitution and the legal status of African Americans from the nation's founding to the late twentieth century. Donald G. Nieman, a historian specializing in American legal and social history, utilizes a chronological framework to analyze how constitutional interpretation has both hindered and facilitated the pursuit of racial equality. The text argues that the constitutional order has functioned as a site of intense struggle, reflecting the shifting political commitments of the American state toward civil rights.

Scholars and students of American legal history frequently cite this work for its clear synthesis of complex constitutional developments over two centuries. Experts highlight the text as a useful resource for understanding the legal mechanisms that have shaped the status of African Americans within the American political system.