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Description:

This class will explore the judicial processes of Europe following the collapse of Rome. From witch trials and Viking blood feuds, then back again to the real barbarians, lawyers! Like a traditional mock trial program, the class will hear cases, and students will defend themselves. Real historical cases will be studied, and trial parts assigned to the class, which will be debated from the perspective of Royal Courts, Church Ordeals, or a Viking assembly they creatively called "a Thing." The class will serve as the jury and, if necessary, select period-appropriate verdicts and explain how they arrived at their decisions, while striving for period accuracy. Second semester will move to codified Renaissance legal systems, leading up to the direct Ancestor to American legal traditions, Common Law.

Topics in this Series: Crime & Punishment in Medieval Times (Semester 1), Crime and Punishment in the Early Modern Era (Semester 2).

Workload: Students should expect to spend 0-1 hours per week outside of class.

Assignments: Period maps, photographs, and re-creations will be posted on a class Google Drive, and video links from YouTube will be e-mailed to parents and students for homework or supplemental investigation.

Assessments: A mid-term and final exam may be given.

Textbooks: None. Case documents are provided in class.

Credit: Homeschool families may wish to count this course as a component (partial) credit in History or Civics for purposes of a high school transcript.