This study focuses on "illegitimate" children, who are more visible than other children within the historical record because of the many laws related to their existence. By examining this group of children, it is possible to improve upon the framework that shapes our understanding of childhood and provide a starting point for future studies that will continue to illuminate children's history. Although illegitimacy laws are as ancient as Western civilization, the key moment for the United States' laws related to nonmarital children came in the spring of 1968 and the pivotal decision of Levy v. Louisiana , 391 U.S. 68 (1968). In that case, the U.S. Supreme Court concluded that nonmarital children deserved the same legal rights as marital children. While Levy marked the beginning of a series of court cases involving nonmarital children, the case itself drifted into obscurity, its importance reduced to Justice William O. Douglas' majority opinion. In an effort to rescue this significant case from the shadows, an analysis of the complete court record for Levy, occupies a prominent position within this work. This close historical analysis provides a glimpse into American culture during the late 1960s, a time when a fundamental shift was occurring within society, creating a more complete picture of how that shift affected the understanding of childhood and children's rights.