Part Ⅱ
Overview

The History of American Law

A. Watch the video and answer the following questions.

1. When we want to define a legal term, what can we do?

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2.When has Black's Law Dictionary been published?

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3.What is the definition of law in B l a c k's L a w Dictionary ?

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B. Watch the video and decide whether the following statements are true or false.

[ ]1. Black's Law Dictionary plays the final controlling role in defining legal terms.

[ ] 2. The United States Supreme Court states a definition of law through the case of United States Fidelity and Guaranty Co. v. Guenther.

[ ] 3. Laws are designed so that they typically reflect what the minority of the people feel is just or right.

C. Watch the video and fill in the blanks.

People make law, and it is made to reflect how the people feel about certain actions or conduct, such as（1）____________,（2）____________or（3）____________. There is a purposeful and strong connection between law and that（4）____________. This is a theme you will see often in（5）____________ and also throughout all other areas of the law.

D. Watch the video and answer the following questions.

1. Where did American law system come from?

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2. What is the English common law rooted in?

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3. Much of the common law was formed in the years between the Norman Conquest of England in the early 11th century and the settlement of the American colonies in the early 17th century, wasn't it ?

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E. Watch the video and answer the following questions.

1.When did Sir William Blackstone publish Commentaries on the Laws of England as a complete overview of the English common law?

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2.How many volumes did Blackstone's Commentaries span?

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3. What are judicial decisions?

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4. Why did American Founding Fathers adopt this system of common law?

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