OSHER 27 - Individual Rights and the Constitution, Part 1: Equal Projection of the Laws

This class will explore the U.S. Constitution, focusing on racial equality, gender equality and gay rights. We will begin by reviewing the 1787 Constitutional Convention and ratification process, with emphasis on the debates about slavery and a "bill of rights". We will then look briefly at the development of the Federal Court system and judicial review of federal and state laws. The bulk of our study and discussion will concern the three amendments to the Constitution adopted in the wake of the Civil War (the 13th, 14th, and 15th Amendments), including their impact on the applicability of the protections to state actions identified in the first ten amendments. We will review a number of Supreme Court cases in their historical context, addressing equal protection of the laws and due process as applied to individual rights. This course is intended to be the first of three exploring the Constitution's protection of individual rights. While the classes will build on each other, each class will be free-standing and capable of being enjoyed on its own.