# Gender and the Law in U.S. History

Drew Dionisio, left, and Brandon Clark, both of Marblehead, MA, are married at the Arlington Street Church in Boston (May 20, 2004). In November of 2003, the Supreme Judicial Court of Massachusetts ruled that the commonwealth may not deny marriage licenses to same-sex couples. (Photo courtesy of Dan Bersak.)

### Instructor(s)

Prof. Christopher Capozzola

### MIT Course Number

21H.225J / WGS.161J

### As Taught In

Spring 2004

### Level

Undergraduate

###

Some Description
Instructor(s) | Prof.
As Taught In | Spring 2002
Course Number | 2.24
Level | Undergraduate/Graduate
Features | Lecture Notes, Student Work

## Course Description

## Course Features

- Assignments: written (no examples)

## Course Description

This subject explores the legal history of the United States as a gendered system. It examines how women have shaped the meanings of American citizenship through pursuit of political rights such as suffrage, jury duty, and military service, how those political struggles have varied for across race, religion, and class, as well as how the legal system has shaped gender relations for both women and men through regulation of such issues as marriage, divorce, work, reproduction, and the family. The course readings will draw from primary and secondary materials in American history, as well as some court cases. However, the focus of the class is on the broader relationship between law and society, and no technical legal knowledge is required or assumed.

## Related Content

## Course Collections

See related courses in the following collections:

### Find Courses by Topic

- Gender Studies
- Legal Studies
- History > American History
- Philosophy > Political Philosophy

Christopher Capozzola. 21H.225J Gender and the Law in U.S. History. Spring 2004. Massachusetts Institute of Technology: MIT OpenCourseWare, https://ocw.mit.edu. License: Creative Commons BY-NC-SA.

For more information about using these materials and the Creative Commons license, see our Terms of Use.