Law and Colonialism Course

Dr. Jennifer Fredette
Associate Professor,
College of Arts and Sciences 

Dr. Miriam Intrator
Special Collections Librarian,
University Libraries

Paul Campbell
Subject Librarian for the
Social Sciences,
University Libraries 

Over the past several semesters, librarians Miriam Intrator and Paul Campbell have partnered with Jennifer Fredette from Political Science and the Center for Law, Justice and Culture to teach five research sessions in her Law & Colonialism course, which explores the impacts of European and American laws during the 19th and 20th centuries on colonized and western societies. These collaborative sessions challenge students to think more critically, connect them to the Libraries’ primary sources, empower them with valuable research skills, expose them to diverse voices, stories, perspectives and experiences, and broaden students’ understanding of the enduring impacts of colonialism through discussions of historical empathy, bias and silences in the documentary record.  Additionally, the team was awarded funds from the 1804 endowment to offer more diverse perspectives on colonialism within the Libraries’ materials and wrote a book chapter on teaching with primary sources. 
  
“I would just say that the collaboration with the librarians… at OHIO has made me fall in love with this course all over again… I really love the topic, but it's very different when you're exploring a subject alongside students who are discovering it for the first time. Thanks to Miriam and Paul, the students are just more excited and interested in the content of the course.” – Jennifer Fredette