HIST 305-01, Selected Advanced Topics in History, Fall 2005

Abstract

This course focuses on law and lawlessness in the American South from the early nineteenth century to the late twentieth century. Students will explore the development of substantive law, constitutional thought, and legal institutions in the southern states, as well as white and black southerners’ attitudes and ideas about law and justice. Specific topics will include honor and violence in the Old South, the law of slavery, communal justice and lynching, and the effect of religious values on substantive law and constitutional ideals.