HIS2000: History of the Constitution

05/01/2024 to 05/30/2025 • Modified 04/23/2024

Course Description

This semester-long course will explore the development of the United States Constitution, including its founding principles and the ways in which succeeding generations have altered and interpreted it. Students will study the principles upon which the Constitution was drafted, engage with the text of the document itself, and examine key events and decisions that affected the text and understanding of what the Constitution means. Students will be introduced to major figures, court cases, and methods of interpreting the Constitution, which will assist them in evaluating it in light of biblical truth.

Prerequisite

None

Schedule

Module 1: Building a New Republic

Week 1: The Birth of a New Government
Week 2: Assessments: The Birth of a New Government
Week 3: Constitutional Debates and Provisions
Week 4: Assessments: Building a New Republic

Module 2: Overview of the Constitution

Week 5: The Legislative Branch
Week 6: The Executive and the Judiciary
Week 7: The First Amendment
Week 8: The Bill of Rights
Week 9: Test: Overview of the Constitution

Module 3: Constitutional Changes, 1795-1960

Week 10: Early Amendments and Cases
Week 11: The Early Twentieth Century
Week 12: The Mid-Twentieth Century
Week 13: Test: Constitutional Changes, 1795-1960

Module 4: Constitutional Changes, 1960-Present

Week 14: Civil Rights
Week 15: Assignment: Oral Argument
Week 16: Modern Constitutional Issues