1. Where is Hew Locke’s public sculpture The Jurors located? What is the theme and meaning of this work? What might Hew Locke be saying about the potential of the law?
One of the panels commemorates Phyllis Wheatley (1753-84). How is this a rebuke to Thomas Jefferson and his views?
2. Another of Hew Locke’s panels depicts “an Amerindian headdress, forest and a river clustered with gold nuggets.” This is meant to evoke “indigenous land claims.” How does this relate to Jefferson’s “Indian policy” and Johnson v. M’Intosh (1823)? Explain both.
3. What is the significance of Rutgers v. Waddington (1784), Trevett v. Weeden (1786), and Shays’ Rebellion (1786-87) in relation to te Constitutional Convention (1787) and Marbury v. Madison (1803)? What constitutional provisions or legal principles were developed or reinforced on account of these episodes during the Articles of Confederation era?
4. What were the two most important legal questions raised in United States v. Burr (1807) and how did John Marshall resolve them? Is the case still relevant today?
5. What was unusual about the jury verdict in Commonwealth v. Crane (1791)? What role did race and class play in the underlying incident? What changes were occurring in the criminal law and the treatment of criminals around this time? Why was the sentence surprising?
6. Identify and explain two cases in which John Marshall resorted to an expansive interpretation of the Contract Clause. How did his decisions in these cases support his vision of a strong federal republic which facilitated commerce and protected private property?
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