American Legal History

This course will explore a range of topics in American legal and constitutional history and will consider the relationship among legal, cultural, social, and political developments.  The class will proceed chronologically, exploring the role of law in American society from the Revolution through the twentieth century, focusing on a selection of the following topics: indigenous nations, land, and property  law; enslavement and racialization in the law; regulation of the economy, including through doctrines of private law (contracts, torts, property); law, gender, marriage and the family; lawyers and legal education; citizenship, civil rights, and social movements; the history of the criminal legal system; and the rise of immigrant detention and deportation.  The course will include short class presentations as well as a final exam.