This course serves as an introduction to the relationship between law and society in the early United States through the framework of belonging. It will cover a range of topics related to early American law and questions of belonging, in particular questions about race, gender, sovereignty, and citizenship. We will look to understand the ways that slavery, unfreedom, race, and white supremacy, as well as the activist and intellectual traditions of different groups influenced foundational ideas of citizenship, belonging, and liberty in early America. We will pay particular attention to the experiences of women, African Americans, Indigenous peoples, and immigrant groups. Students will analyze some of the landmark cases, texts, and theories from the period and their bearing on the course’s theme.