This course examines the history of the U.S. Constitution,
Supreme Court, and the interpretation of law since the end of
the Civil War. Studying landmark court cases in context and
as part of the social revolution that unfolded in American
institutions and life in the wake of the Fourteenth Amendment
(1868), this class examines core doctrines of legal history and
interpretation with a focus on how modern institutions change
the relation of the individual to the state and economy, to
liberty and the institutions of civil society. Though readings
consist mostly of original court cases, no previous coursework
in law or history is required. Rather, the course takes a handson approach to interpreting legal history, working through
important cases and concepts through a process of lectures,
mock (in-class) trials, briefings, oral arguments, and social
“impact statements.” Students completing the class will be
able to translate between important legal doctrines (e.g.
federalism, separation of powers, due process rights, equal protection) and corresponding social
and political developments such as industrialization, urbanization, feminism, the New Deal,
modern forms of war, the Civil Rights movement, and the growth of mass media.
- Teacher: Carolina Machado