Origins Of Bankruptcy Law In The United States
The United States Constitution gives Congress the power to establish laws on the subject of Bankruptcy throughout the United States. Congress first exercised this power the Bankruptcy Act of 1800. This act, which virtually copied the existing English law, provided for involuntary bankruptcies and was only available to traders (merchants). The act was repealed three years later in 1803. Two more short-lived federal bankruptcy laws were enacted from 1841 to 1843 and from 1867 to 1878. A permanent federal bankruptcy law would not go into Read More +