Course: The Bill of
Rights
Course Description:
This course will explore the protections in the Bill of Rights,
the first 10 amendments to the U.S. Constitution. In a 10
amendments in 10 weeks curriculum, we will start with the First
Amendment’s protection for freedom of speech, consider the more
controversial protection of gun ownership in the Second
Amendment and end with the Tenth Amendment’s role in balancing
state and federal power.
Text of the Bill of Rights: http://www.ushistory.org/documents/amendments.htm
General Material
U.S. Constitution Annotated - https://www.law.cornell.edu/constitution-conan
8 things you should know about the Bill of Rights - https://www.history.com/news/8-things-you-should-know-about-the-bill-of-rights
Can You Pass a Bill of Rights Quiz? - https://constitutioncenter.org/blog/can-you-pass-this-bill-of-rights-quiz/
Material Related to Specific Amendments
Week One - The First Amendment Free Speech Clause:
Unprotected
Categories of Expression
List of United States Supreme Court First Amendment Cases - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_United_States_Supreme_Court_cases_involving_the_First_Amendment
The First Amendment Encyclopedia - https://www.mtsu.edu/first-amendment/encyclopedia
U.S. Constitution Annotated: First Amendment - https://www.law.cornell.edu/constitution-conan/amendment-1
Week Two - The First Amendment Religion Clauses
The Constitution and Religion - https://www.usconstitution.net/consttop_reli.html
Excerpt from Justice
O'Connor's Concurring Opinion in McCreary County v. ACLU
Excerpt
From Justice Scalia's Concurring Opinion in Lamb's Chapel
Time
Line of Parochial School Funding Cases Updated
Time
Line of Parochial School Funding Cases
Religious
Symbols
on Public Land (pictures of actual displays)
Holiday
Displays (pick which ones would be constitutional)
Peace Cross - http://www.waymarking.com/gallery/image.aspx?f=1&guid=959765d6-7101-4251-9a43-4d243a5a5f07&gid=3 and https://www.washingtontimes.com/multimedia/image/peace-crossjpg/
American Legion v. American Humanist Association - https://www.scotusblog.com/case-files/cases/the-american-legion-v-american-humanist-association/
American Legion v. American Humanist Association - https://www.law.cornell.edu/supct/cert/17-1717
American Legion v. American Humanist Association -
Supreme Court Opinion - https://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/18pdf/17-1717_j426.pdf
Week Three - The Second and Third Amendments
U.S. Constitution Annotated: Second Amendment - https://www.law.cornell.edu/constitution-conan/amendment-2
U.S. Constitution: Article I, Section 8: Armies and Militias
U.S. Constitution Annotated: Third Amendment - https://www.law.cornell.edu/constitution-conan/amendment-3
The Third Amendment by Gordon S. Wood (National Constitution
Center) - https://constitutioncenter.org/interactive-constitution/amendments/amendment-iii
New York State Pistol & Rifle Association v. City of New
York - https://www.scotusblog.com/case-files/cases/new-york-state-rifle-pistol-association-inc-v-city-of-new-york-new-york/
Week Four - The Fourth Amendment
Phone Booth - https://www.flickr.com/photos/10707024@N04/2529300908/lightbox/
U.S. Constitution Annotated: Fourth Amendment - https://www.law.cornell.edu/constitution-conan/amendment-4
Week Five - The Double Jeopardy, Self-Incrimination and
Takings Clauses of the Fifth Amendment
Week Six - The Fifth Amendment: The Due Process Clause
Procedural Due Process: Mathews
v. Eldridge Factors
Griswold
v. Connecticut Chart of Opinions
Due Process Tests: Minimum
Scrutiny and Strict Scrutiny
Obergefell v. Hodges - Quotation
from Justice Kennedy's Opinion
Week Seven - The Fifth Amendment: The Equal Protection
Component of the Fifth Amendment Due Process Clause
Text of Fifth and Fourteenth
Amendments
Equal Protection
Standards - Levels of Scrutiny
Characteristics of a Suspect
Class
Week Eight - The Sixth Amendment
Sixth
Amendment
Week Nine - The Seventh and Eighth Amendments
List of Supreme Court Decisions on Capital Punishment - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_United_States_Supreme_Court_decisions_on_capital_punishment
Death Penalty Information Center - https://deathpenaltyinfo.org
Pew Research Center - https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2019/03/14/11-states-that-have-the-death-penalty-havent-used-it-in-more-than-a-decade/
Summary of U.S. Supreme Court Death Penalty Decisions in the
2018-2019 Term - https://deathpenaltyinfo.org/united-states-supreme-court-decisions-2018-2019-term
Week Ten - The Ninth and Tenth Amendment