Courting Liberty: Slavery and Equality Under the Constitution, 1770-1870

FAIN: ES-256815-17

Georgia State University Research Foundation, Inc. (Atlanta, GA 30302-3999)
Chara Haeussler Bohan (Project Director: February 2017 to February 2021)
H. Robert Baker (Co Project Director: October 2018 to February 2021)

A two-week institute for twenty-five school teachers on slavery and equality as central constitutional issues in early United States history.

"Courting Liberty: Slavery and Equality Under the Constitution, 1770-1880" is a proposed NEH Summer Scholars two-week institute which will address the central constitutional dispute of the antebellum era - the question of whether the Constitution was a document that embraced ideas of liberty and equality, or whether it protected slavery. Expert faculty in fields including: African American Studies, History, Education, and Law and our institutional partner the Atlanta History Center, will facilitate rich academic experiences for 25 schoolteacher participants. In addition to field trips to museums, plantations, and historic landmarks, NEH Summer Scholars will engage in dynamic discussions with content experts, critically read landmark primary source documents, and participate in sessions to promote interactive strategies for teaching complex court cases and constitutional questions.