American Legal History

A survey of American legal history from the colonial period through the end of the nineteenth century. Non-traditional primary sources as well as traditional cases will be utilized. The primary focus will be on the inter-relationship of law and the larger society, rather than merely the development of legal doctrine. Topics include: the Americanization of the English Common Law; law of personal status; criminal law; social control; and the regulation of morality; and law and the economy.