Guns, abortion, sex, speech, race, school prayer. Americans often turn their public policy debates into constitutional ones--hoping that imperfect men dead for two centuries will be able to resolve questions that defy consensus today. Clashing in the present, people on all sides of issues implicitly make claims about history. This course takes an intensive look at the early history of the U.S. Constitution, clearing the historical air and muddying contemporary waters. We will attend to events leading up to the constitutional convention, the compromises made in Philadelphia, intense debates over ratification, the creation of the Bill of Rights, and the post-Civil War amendments that, in addressing the legacy of slavery, redirected the nation's constitutional trajectory. We will also consider select constitutional developments and controversies in the 19th, 20th, and 21st centuries. No prerequisites.
| Distribution Area | Prerequisites | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| None | 1 course |