in The Origins and Development of American Legal History in New York City (1609-1865)
Lesson 3
Created by Dr. Aaron Welt,
Judith S. Kaye Teaching Fellow
NYS Common Core Grades 11 & 12:
United States History and Government
Participation in Government and Civics
This series of five lesson plans is designed to familiarize upper-level high school and college students with the early history of American law, with a specific focus on New York City. These lesson plans utilize online resources provided by the Historical Society of the New York Courts and aim to introduce students to the major events and turning points that help us understand how American law, courts, and the criminal justice system developed in early US history. The lesson plans are divided chronologically and thematically, but are meant to be instructed in conversation with one another. For each of the outlined class activities, students should write down their answers to submit to the instructor.
This lesson plan meets the following guidelines of New York State’s Common Core Social Studies Framework (2017):
- Expansion, Nationalism, and Sectionalism: 11.3a
The Historical Society’s website contains a wealth of related resources, including descriptions of cases and biographies of judges who decided the cases.
Revolution and the Emerging State
Legal History by Era
People v. Levi Weeks
Alexander Hamilton
Lawyer for Defense
Aaron Burr
Lawyer for Defense
Brockholst Livingston
Lawyer for Defense
Cadwallader David Colden
Assistant Attorney General
Hon. John Lansing, Jr.
Chief Justice of the New York Supreme Court of Judicature
People v. Barrett and Ward
People v. Barrett and Ward
2 Caines 340; 1 Johns. R. 66 (N.Y. 1806)
Hon. Brockholst Livingston
Justice of the New York Supreme Court of Judicature
Hon. Daniel Tompkins
Justice of the New York Supreme Court of Judicature
Hon. Ambrose Spencer
Justice of the New York Supreme Court of Judicature
Hon. Smith Thompson
Justice of the New York Supreme Court of Judicature
Hon. James Kent
Chief Justice of the New York Supreme Court of Judicature
People v. Ruggles
People v. Ruggles
8 Johns. 290 (1811)
Hon. James Kent
Chief Justice of the New York Supreme Court of Judicature
Delivered Opinion of a Unanimous Court
People v. Christian Smith
1 American State Trials 779 (1814)
2 New-York City-Hall Recorder 77 (June 1817)
Hon. William W. Van Ness
Justice of the New York Supreme Court of Judicature
Prosecution of Dr. Smith Boughton
The Anti-Rent War Prosecution of Dr. Smith Boughton
1845
Hon. Amasa Parker
Judge of the Court of Oyer and Terminer
First Trial
Hon. John W. Edmonds
Judge of the Court of Oyer and Terminer
Second Trial
John Van Buren
New York Attorney General
Theodore Miller
County District Attorney
Ambrose L. Jordan
Lawyer for the Defense
Image Citation: The New York Public Library, The Miriam and Ira D. Wallach Division of Art, Prints and Photographs: Picture Collection.
Revolutionary New York and the Origins of American Law
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New York’s Courts and the People Behind Them
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