Early American Legal History

Welcome! This page provides a variety of material for early U.S. law and history, and as such it is intended primarily for students taking American Legal History to the 1860s (Legal Studies/History 261).

Films: Links to PBS documentaries shown in class are provided below; the PBS film websites provide summaries, clips, and for some films, full transcripts. Other films shown in class include:

The Crucible. 20th C. Fox, 1996, Dir. Nicholas Hytner, starring Daniel Day-Lewis and Winona Ryder (and based on Arthur Miller’s 1953 play of the same name).

Amistad. Dreamworks, 1997. Dir. Steven Spielberg, starring Morgan Freeman, Matthew McConaughey, and Anthony Hopkins.