HIS 255
Famous Trials · 3 credits · Fall 2026
Requirements
Prerequisite: ENG 101
About this course
Certain trials, even those from the very distant past, remain embedded in our collective memory and imagination decades or even centuries later. This course will examine in detail famous historical trials such as the Salem witchcraft trials, the Amistad case, and/or the McCarthy anti-communist trials. Students will use these trials as a lens to explore historical issues of justice, and consider their significance for individuals, and what that suggests about our individual understandings of justice. This course serves as gateway to John Jay College for transfer students, welcoming and introducing them to the many resources the college provides as well as the academic training that will help them pursue their goals as fierce advocates of justice.
Seat status as of Oct 3, 5:51 AM ET. Seats can change between refreshes.