Explores the issues before the court from the aftermath of the Civil War through to the 1930s. This was a period of unprecedented economic growth as the nation industrialized but was also a time of unregulated work conditions where the court found itself squarely in the middle of what was almost class warfare. As corporations became more powerful they found an unlikely ally in the Supreme Court. While the 14th Amendment was passed to make certain that the states were obligated to recognize the rights of the newly freed slaves, the court would for almost 100 years use the amendment to protect not blacks but big business, recognizing corporations as "persons" and awarding them sweeping legal protection.