HIST 05371 - U.S. Legal and Constitutional History to 1870

Credits: 3

In this course, students will learn how American law and the Constitution developed from their English roots. This English Common law heritage of American law means that historical development is a part of contemporary law, as justices interpret a Constitution written over 200 years ago. As a part of gaining a strong foundation in American law and government, the course will pause and spend significant time exploring the Constitutional era, in order to be able to evaluate competing ideas today like “original intent” and the “evolving Constitution.” The course will continue through the Reconstruction Amendments to gain perspective on how American law and the Constitution survived and changed during its first chapter.

Prerequisite Courses: COMP 01112 with a minimum grade of D- or HONR 01112 with a minimum grade of D- or ENGR 01201 with a minimum grade of D-
Course Attributes: CAT, UGRD