Second Assignment, due the Tuesday before Thanksgiving

For this paper, I want you to pick two of the following three books: Allen, _Dred Scott_, Kramer, _People Themselves_, and Cornell, _Well Regulated Militia_. I want you to write an essay explaining how the two books you pick *differ* from one another with respect to the constitutional order they describe. To put this another way, which two books do you think offer the most completely different views of the constitutional order in the United States up to the Civil War?

To do this, you must, of course, define constitutional order.

While I wish you to focus your paper on the differences between the two books you pick, you should not ignore similarities. Thus, you may find that the two books agree about point A, but otherwise Book 1 emphasizes points B and C, while Book 2 emphasizes points Y and Z.

You should, of course, offer examples and specific references to the books to support your conclusions.

A final note, in making your comparisons you should not tell me that one book is better or worse than the other. You may, however, wish to note that one book supports its conclusions better than the other, or something of that sort. But in general I am not interested in whether you like one book more than the other, I am interested in seeing you explore and demonstrate you understand the differences between the two books you pick.

Once again, please review the provisions in the syllabus about the paper’s length and deadlines.