HIST 315-01, United States Constitutional History to 1865, Spring 1999

Abstract

This course examines the development of American constitutionalism from the seventeenth century through the Civil War era. We will pay particular attention to the revolutionary ideology of eighteenth century America, the creation of a constitution and a republic, the rise of judicial review in the early nineteenth century, and the new nation's attempts to deal with such key constitutional issues as federalism, the separation of powers, the government's role in the national economy, and the future of slavery in the expanding republic. In contrast to a constitutional law course, this class is more concerned with how American constitutionalism both shaped and responded to larger political and social developments, and less concerned with the evolution of constitutional doctrine in and of itself. This course is a seminar. That means that each student must complete the assigned readings and come to class prepared to discuss them. This is not a lecture class, and class participation is key to the seminar's (and your) survival. After completing this course, students should have a broad understanding of the history of American constitutionalism to 1865, as well as improved oral, written, and critical thinking skills.