PRE-1865.

In this course, we will survey American literature from its beginnings to the middle of the nineteenth century. Through first-hand accounts, journals, lectures, novels, and poetry, we will:

• explore how early Americans viewed and responded to the various events of their day,

• consider how these writers try to make sense of their world and their roles within it,

• consider how these texts reflect a constantly-evolving definition of what counts as “America” and what it means to be an American.

FALL 2026 TOPICS: LITERARY (IN)JUSTICE.

POST-1865 and DIVERSITY.

This online section of Literature and Law will examine textual representations of literary (in)justice. Through several novels and short stories, we’ll encounter vigilantes, avengers, and other figures who urge us to think critically about how we define justice and what happens when those definitions are challenged.