Heart of Atlanta Motel et al.: Living the Constitution
"In Article II, Section 1 of the Constitution we find..." and heads hit the desks. Nothing bores, and intimidates students more than constitutional history. But no one branch of the government has subtly, and sometimes not so subtly, shaped the devlopment of American identity as well as impacted people's day-to-day lives. This workshop deconstructs monolithic Supreme Court decisions into their composite people, places, and politics. Students will hone their historical thinking skills by analyzing the litigants' backstories for contextual clues as to their historical importance and that of their Supreme Court cases. There are many extraordinarily important cases to cover, but I have narrowed it down to eight- four "old," four more "modern." I can present one in-depth, or any combination of the eight, depending on the time restraints and desires of your class.
Marbury v. Madison (1803): John Marshall Smacks Down TJ
McCulloch v. Maryland (1819) : The Fed Stands Supreme
Dred Scott (1857): Taney's Folly
Plessy v. Ferguson (1896): Separate but Equal*
Brown v. B.O.E. (1954): With All Deliberate Speed*
Heart of Atlanta Motel (1964): Commerce Clause as a Secret Weapon**
Roe v. Wade (1973): Privacy Reconsidered
Citizens United (2010): Free Speech or Political Powergrab?
* These two combine very well.
**Can be used as a companion to both Plessy and Brown
Marbury v. Madison (1803): John Marshall Smacks Down TJ
McCulloch v. Maryland (1819) : The Fed Stands Supreme
Dred Scott (1857): Taney's Folly
Plessy v. Ferguson (1896): Separate but Equal*
Brown v. B.O.E. (1954): With All Deliberate Speed*
Heart of Atlanta Motel (1964): Commerce Clause as a Secret Weapon**
Roe v. Wade (1973): Privacy Reconsidered
Citizens United (2010): Free Speech or Political Powergrab?
* These two combine very well.
**Can be used as a companion to both Plessy and Brown