Crime, Law and Justice in American History

This class charts major developments in American law and the criminal justice system from the 1800s to present. Each week we will focus on a case study that illuminates the most pressing issues in law and crime for a particular era. Over the course of the semester, we will: probe how ideas about criminology, psychology, and forensic science developed; how the role of prosecutors, defense attorneys and judges and trials in general have changed; and the ways crime is defined and understood by the public over time. We will also pay attention to why crime has been so fascinating to generations of Americans, and how crime and the criminal justice system is portrayed in journalism, fiction, film, podcasts, and popular culture.

This is a synchronous online course that meets twice weekly. Students will need access to a computer, microphone, and camera to participate in this activity-based course.