POL 453A Creation of the Constitution

In this seminar we take a deep dive into the creation story of the U.S. Constitution. The idea of the class is to simply read through, with an open and critical mind, the primary documents connected to the creation and ratification of the U.S. Constitution - with a particular focus on James Madison's Notes on the Federal Convention, selected writings from the Federalist Papers and the Anti-Federalists, and some of the early debates in the First Congress, read in chronological context. The class will also include various "field trips" to the National Archives, George Washington's Mount Vernon, James Madison's Montpelier, and George Mason's Gunston Hall. For those Politics graduate and undergraduate students taking the class for three credits, those four "field trips" will be required. It will also require a 25-page paper for all students and satisfy the writing requirement. Since an increasing amount of constitutional litigation today centers on the history from this creation moment, and so much debate about America's national identity today -- its merits and demerits alike -- pivots on different views of the "American founding," it seems like a fitting time to return to these primary sources.

Cross Listed Courses

POL 453A & POL 620A & LAW 604C