Founding Ideas: From the Declaration of Independence to the California Constitution
Explore the evolving political principles that shaped governance in North America from the late eighteenth century through California’s admission to the Union in 1850.
Living in California, geographically distant from the places from the founding of the American government, the Constitution can sometimes feel remote or abstract. This course seeks to bring that history from the East to the West. It traces American constitutionalism from the Atlantic shores, across the continent, and eventually into California. Beginning with the revolutionary ideals articulated in the Declaration of Independence, students will examine how concepts such as natural rights, popular sovereignty, federalism, and constitutionalism emerged, traveled, and transformed across different political contexts. The class will then trace these ideas through the U.S. Constitution, their adaptation in the Mexican Constitution of 1824, and their eventual expression in the California Constitution of 1849, a hybrid document reflecting American, Mexican, and local influences.
Through close reading of primary texts, comparative constitutional analysis, and historically grounded pedagogy, students will investigate how founding ideas were debated, contested, and reimagined as new nations and states confronted their own political, social, and economic challenges. By the end of the course, participants will not only understand these constitutional traditions but will also develop curriculum and instructional materials that help students connect foundational principles to contemporary civic life in California and the United States.
This synchronous course is entirely virtual, and is taught by Dr. Edward Blum, Professor of History at San Diego State University, this July to August. It is only open to teachers in California.
HIST 538: From the Declaration of Independence to the California Constitution
- Week 1: July 7 – July 10, 12:30pm – 3:15pm PT
- Week 2: June 13 – July 16, 12:30pm – 3:15pm PT
- Week 3: July 20 – July 24, 12:30pm – 3:15pm PT
- Weeks 4-6: July 27 – August 15, Asynchronous individual project work and required meetings with the professor
The deadline to apply is May 1, 2026. Please direct any questions to JMC Graduate Consortium Manager, Moyra Eaton, at meaton@gojmc.org.
This course is a part of the Jack Miller Center’s Civics Foundations Graduate Consortium, which seeks to provide K-12 teachers with high-impact graduate education centered around American civics and history. Click the link below to read more about the consortium and explore other available courses.