Declaration of Independence and Civic Foundations.

Catalog description

This course examines the Declaration of Independence as both a founding political act and a statement of enduring civic ideals. Students will study the historical circumstances that produced the document, the philosophical claims it makes about human equality and rights, and its influence on later debates about liberty and justice. From the Revolution to civil rights movements, we will trace how Americans have invoked - and contested - the Declaration's principles in the ongoing work of self-government. Previously offered as SCLL 155.