America on Trial

Catalog description

From the Salem Witchcraft trials to the trial of 0. J. Simpson, some sensational legal contests have captured the public imagination and resonated in American history and culture. Why do some trials garner such attention while others, perhaps equally sensational, do not? Clearly, they reflect deeper anxieties and tap into larger themes in American culture. This course will focus on trials like these that have captured the public imagination and ask what these trials reveal about the larger society. Other trials, though not as sensational, also reveal important aspects of American culture. We will also explore the law itself, how it functions in society, and what sort of society it aims to foster and protect.