
This is an interesting Amendment. Our founding fathers wanted to preserve the right to juries in civil (not criminal) cases. In the complexities of life before the War for Independence, civil juries were one way Americans could poke back at their British rulers. Today, the National Constitution Center reports that the United States is almost the only nation that still allows juries in civil trials.
The transcript for this Amendment is from National Archives (archives.gov). Brief explanation bolded and italicized after each section.
Amendment VII
In Suits at common law, where the value in controversy shall exceed twenty dollars, the right of trial by jury shall be preserved,
Preservation Clause
This clause preserves the right to a civil trial in federal cases, where the controversy is greater than twenty dollars.
and no fact tried by a jury, shall be otherwise re-examined in any Court of the United States, than according to the rules of the common law.
Re-examination Clause
This clause prevents judges from overturning a jury’s decision, according to the rules of common law. (The discussion of common law requires a bit more expertise. I would refer you to the National Constitution Center’s bipartisan discussions on this topic.)
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