LAW - 606 U.S. Legal History I

(3 hrs.)

Explores the interaction of American law and society primarily from the Revolutionary War and New Republic era through post-Civil War reconstruction, with a brief introductory overview of colonial developments. Examines the origins, evolution, and impact of major constitutional, statutory, and private law developments in this period. Specific topics include changes in understanding and operation of basic constitutional rights; the evolving scope of governmental power and relationship between federal and state authority; legal promotion and regulation of American economic life, particularly through the development and application of property, tort, and contract law; the changing legal and social status and activity of women, African-Americans, and industrial workers; evolving ideas and practices regarding crime and criminals; and the history of the legal profession. L. Grossman, James May Fall