Using an eclectic collection of primary and secondary source materials, this seminar conducts an in-depth historical examination of the American constitutional founding in 1787. Anyone interested in what the Constitution meant when it was created is encouraged to enroll. Initial sessions set the scene with discussions of the eighteenth-century imperial constitutional framework, constitutional controversies during the imperial struggle in the 1760s, and the creation of the American state constitutions during the Revolution. In the seminar's core sessions, we explore the crisis of the Critical Period, the Constitution's drafting history, and the central issues debated during the ratification contest. Finally, the seminar examines the first federal administrative state established under the Constitution, as well as some of the constitutional controversies that arose in the immediate post-ratification years. At various points throughout we reflect on how the historical perspectives revealed in the readings and discussions bear on modern-day interpretive issues and methodologies. Grades will be based on seminar participation and a research paper. LIMITED WRITING REQUIREMENT OPTION: A limited number of students may be permitted to satisfy the upper-class writing requirement with the approval of the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs. GRADING NOTICE: This class will not offer the CR/NC/H option. ** A student who fails to attend the initial meeting of a seminar (designated by an (S) in the title), or to obtain permission to be absent from either the instructor or the Registrar, may be administratively dropped from the seminar. Students who are on a wait list for a seminar are required to attend the first seminar meeting to be considered for enrollment.