CLASS 1539 - FWS: Slavery Trials: Ancient and Modern

Fall. 3 credits. Letter grades only.

First-Year Writing Seminar.

N. Giannella.

This course will focus on court cases about slavery and freedom from ancient to modern times. We will study the way law and culture interacted to shape the institution of slavery and the development of ancient and modern conceptions of personhood, humanity, legal status, and race. Beginning with court speeches from Classical Athens, we will go on to examine law and slavery in Ancient Rome and the Early Modern Mediterranean before considering Atlantic Slavery, including Brazil and the United States. Assignments include preparatory writing and essays focusing on readings and discussions in class.