History 3551

Constitutional History of the United States to 1877

Fall Semester, 2009

Lecture sections: T 3 period & Th 3 period

Discussion sections: as assigned

Turlington L005

Please note—this is a Gordon Rule 2 course.

Professor: Elizabeth Dale

352-2733387

edale@ufl.edu

http://plaza.ufl.edu/edale

Dale office hours:

T: 11 to 12:30 at Keene Flint 224

Th: 11:30 to 1:00 at the law school

and by appointment

Teaching assistants: Joel Black & Jim Flook

Grade Conversion Chart

Required reading:

Woody Holton, Unruly Americans

Saul Cornell, A Well Regulated Militia

Michael Kent Curtis, Free Speech, The People’s Darling Privilege

Daniel Farber, Lincoln’s Constitution

The books have been ordered through the University Bookstore. You may also order them on Amazon.com.

Also required: on-line readings from http://plaza.ufl.edu/edale

Assignments:

Participation in discussion section, worth 25% of your grade

1 case analysis, topic to be assigned, due on date indicated below, worth 25% of grade

1 book analysis, topic to be assigned, due on date indicated below, worth 25% of grade

Take home final, due on date indicated below, worth 25% of grade

Policies:

We follow University of Florida rules regarding disability accommodation. Those policies are here and are also linked to on my website. If you have any questions, please contact me. Students requesting accommodation should notify me at the start of the semester.

We also follow University of Florida policies regarding plagiarism. Those policies are here and are linked to on my website. Please review that material, it is assumed you know and understand university regulations on this issue. If you have any questions, it is better to ask than to make assumptions that may be wrong.

As you know, UF has adopted a minus grade system. Grades in this course will reflect the minus grade and apply the university guidelines, which are set out here.

All papers are due on the date set, at the start of class. Any paper turned in the day of the assignment after class will be marked down half a grade. Any paper turned in the day after it is due will be marked down a full grade; any paper turned in two days late will be marked down two full grades. Any paper turned in three days late will automatically receive an F. For purposes of this rule, weekends will be counted.

Students are expected to attend regularly, come to class on time, and to have read the material for the day prior to class. Lectures, discussions, and assignments are intended to teach you the materials and skills you will need to do the assignments, and there is a close correlation between attendance, participation, and grades. Your class participation grade requires you to attend AND participate.

Schedule:

Week 1: August 24

Lecture sections:

Tuesday: introduction to the course

Thursday: Magna Carta

Discussion sections: Sermon on the Arbella

Week 2: August 31

Lecture sections:

Tuesday: Charter of Massachusetts Bay, 1629

Thursday: Pennsylvania Charter

Discussion sections: English Bill of Rights

Week 3: September 7