throughout US history, has the  government taken a loose constructionist view of the constitution or a strict constructionist view

abolished slavery

a loose constructionist view of the constitution means that you take a broad interpretation of it

leader of the Mexican army that stormed the Alamo

defined citizenship and attempted to give black men the right to vote in the South

the Battle of New Orleans did not in fact win the War of 1812

this Radical Republican was caned in Congress for verbally attacking an elderly senator from South Carolina; while not a cause of the Civil War, it demonstrated the hysteria  prevalent in the country

the South surrendered here

turning point of the Civil War; it is very unlikely that the South can win after this

this repealed the old 3630 law