U.S. Legal History

This course explores the legal history of what became the United States from the beginning of European colonization until the early twentieth century, focusing on the late eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. It examines both the evolution of legal doctrine and the role of marginalized communities as targets, resistors, and creators of law. It emphasizes continental, borderlands, and transnational perspectives on U.S. legal history. Special Instructions: Any student may write a paper in lieu of the final exam with consent of instructor. After the term begins, students accepted into the course can transfer from section (01) into section (02), which meets the R requirement, with consent of the instructor. Elements used in grading: Take-home final exam or paper. Automatic grading penalty waived for writers.