American Charters

This seminar will read deeply in thirteen seminal texts from American history. Exploring the context in which each document was written, the intentions of the author(s), the medium of publication, the way audiences experienced the document, and its reception throughout history, arguing that charter documents have assumed high importance in the United States, a nation with little precedent to build upon. From John Winthrop's "City Upon a Hill" speech, which may never have been given, to Second Inaugural of Barack Obama, we'll consider the ways in which ambitious writers/speakers have tried to claim authorship for the narrative of American history.