Order in the Court: Law, Crime, and Punishment in Global History (Honors)

No singular room has had more influence on the development of history than the courtroom. Order in the Court will explore the corridors of power, the back alleys of history, and the minds of our world’s most notorious figures, as we explore the ways in which their quest for justice (or evading the law!) played out in the courtroom. As we trace legal history through the earlier ages, we will consider foundations of law in medieval Europe, the peculiarities of witch hunts and trials of the “burning times,” and the challenges to church authority within their own courtrooms. We will then shift our focus towards the modern as we consider crimes of colonialism, societal problems brought by industry and urbanization, and global law and order in the twentieth century. Over the course of the semester, we will explore the overall impact that different courts of law have on society, and how that impact has changed over time.