U.S. Congressional Documents

Jimmy Carter, the 39th president of the United States, died late last year. After Carter’s passing, scores of tributes were written that touched on the major moments that defined his presidency—the Camp David Accords, establishment of diplomatic relations with China, the creation of the Departments of Energy and Education, the oil crisis—and the long accomplishments of his post-presidency, including his work with Habitat for Humanity and his 2002 Nobel Peace Prize.

We aren’t going to focus on any of those worthy topics today on the HeinOnline blog. Instead, we’re going to turn our attention to one strange sidebar from the Carter presidency that, in some ways, is still relevant to the drug policy of the United States today, and an issue that crops up on state ballots with more and more frequency: the decriminalization of marijuana. We’ll take a look at just how close the Carter administration came in 1978 to decriminalizing marijuana—before a drug scandal vanished those efforts in a puff of smoke.

Please enjoy this post responsibly.

Reconstruction took place in the aftermath of the American Civil War between the Union and the breakaway states of the Confederacy. Between 1865 and 1877 the United States used military force to reincorporate Southern states into the Union while integrating formerly enslaved people into civic life. The process was so transformative of American law and politics that many historians refer to it as the nation’s “Second Founding.” Keep reading to learn more about Reconstruction and its contested legacy.

The five United States territories of Puerto Rico, American Samoa, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, and the Northern Mariana Islands are home to 3.62 million people, most of whom are U.S. citizens. However, the people of these islands lack voting representatives in Congress, and are not provided with all the Constitutional protections afforded to U.S. citizens in the States. The origin of this situation is a set of decisions handed down by the U.S. Supreme Court at the turn of the twentieth century, referred to as the Insular Cases. Keep reading as we use resources on HeinOnline to learn more about this seldom-taught chapter in American legal history.

On the morning of April 16, 1947, the French steamer SS Grandcamp was docked at the port of Texas City, a small town near Galveston, Texas. Longshoremen worked in the spring sunshine to finish filling her hold with thousands of tons of ammonium nitrate. The Grandcamp‘s cargo was a gift from the United States federal government[1] to war-ravaged France, intended to fertilize farmer’s fields and help rejuvenate French agriculture in the aftermath of World War II. While ammonium nitrate was the bulk of her cargo, the Grandcamp was also loaded with twine, peanuts, and small arms ammunition. Ready to resume loading, the longshoremen opened the Grandcamp‘s hatches and descended into her hold.

For more than a century, the Panama Canal has played a vital role in global trade. Control of the canal was transferred to Panama in 1999 under the Torrijos-Carter Treaties (1977),[1] marking a major shift in U.S.-Panama relations. In recent weeks, the canal has become a focal point of geopolitical tension. The Trump administration has raised concerns over rising toll costs and foreign influence, particularly from China. In response, the Panamanian government has pushed back, insisting that it remains fully in control and rejecting any outside interference. This debate has renewed questions about the legal frameworks governing the canal, the implications for global trade, and how international law applies to disputes over important waterways.

Over the past few years, TikTok has grown into one of the most popular social media platforms in the world, available in 155 countries and capturing over a billion users worldwide[1] with its short-form videos, karaoke-style singing, viral challenges, and creative communities. TikTok has established itself as a cultural phenomenon and an integral part of life online, particularly for younger generations. However, this rise in popularity has not come without controversy, and the TikTok Ban debate is far from over.

Football playoff season is coming to a close this weekend, when Super Bowl LIX kicks off in New Orleans. Football is the most popular sport in the United States, and the National Football League has a longstanding exceptional legal status in this country. Follow along as we use HeinOnline to explore the history of football, from its earliest origins in the Middle Ages, to the modern legal monopoly of the National Football League.