Seminar in Historical Analysis (405-0-24)

Topic

Global Legal History

Instructors

Helen Tilley

Meeting Info

Harris Hall room 101: Thurs 2:00PM - 4:50PM

Overview of class

How does our understanding of global history change when we foreground law? To what extent have international legal regimes arisen out of imperial and national dynamics? Why have slavery and settler colonialism been so important to so many constitutional and state histories? This course takes up these and other questions in order to make sense of the interplay between laws, nations, and empires around the world over the last five centuries (circa 1500 to 2000). The topics we will likely examine include: 1) the origins and effects of mixed jurisdictions (or legal pluralism) in different regions; 2) the ways empires have shaped key concepts of sovereignty, personhood, and citizenship; 3) the role of transnational corporations in bolstering imperial and national rule; 4) the history of human rights and global governance; 5) tensions between scientific and legal definitions of race and ancestry; 6) histories of Islamic law; 7) entanglements between cultural and intellectual property; 8) shifting legal definitions of indigeneity; and 9) space law and AI.

Learning Objectives

To increase your knowledge of global and transnational history; to deepen your understanding of the historical interplay among law, empire, and global governance; and to refine your expository writing skills.

Evaluation Method

Book reviews, essays, discussion facilitation

Enrollment Requirements

Enrollment Requirements: Prerequisite: MA or PhD History student
Add Consent: Department Consent Required