Teaching American Crime History

The History of American Crime at Cumberland University examines the public fascination with crime in America from the colonial era to the present, the changing nature of the definition of crime, the evolution of legal and extralegal punishments for criminals in the United States, and the spectacle of crime, courts, and criminal justice. Particular attention will be paid to the lenses of race and gender in the treatment of the accused and of victims by the criminal justice system and the American public. This course is cross-listed in History and Criminal Justice as an upper-division elective.

This poster session will introduce the course and pedagogical methodology for teaching American history using crime as a lens. Lesson plans, course assessments, and sample student work will be demonstrated.