Seminar: Debating Democracy in Nineteenth-Century America

Undergraduate

This seminar examines the ideas and practices of American democracy at the moment of its emergence. After an initial couple weeks of defining terms and orienting ourselves in the larger context of modern democracy, our readings and discussions will consider such key issues as: expansions and contractions in voting rights; the role of public opinion; the place of minorities in majoritarian government; the tensions between American democracy and American slavery; and the contested debates over the citizenship of women and African Americans.