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Virginia Tech

HIST-3124: Murder in American History

Description: Considers how the definition of murder as a crime has changed from the colonial period to the present day. Uses murder cases to study the dynamics of American society in condemning, condoning, or celebrating murder. Asks how cultural factors, including racial prejudice, gender stereotypes, beliefs about sexuality, and class status affected the act of killing, media coverage of the event, societal reactions, and the execution of justice. Topics covered include abortion, lynching, vigilante justice, and the evolution of the legal system.

Pathways: 2 Critical Thinking Humanities, 7 Identity & Equity in U.S., 11 Intercultural&Global Aware.

Course Hours: 3 credits

Prerequisites: N/A

Required By: N/A

Corequisites: N/A

Crosslist: CRIM-3124

Repeatability: N/A

Sections Taught: 10

Average GPA: 3.61 (rounds to A-)

Strict A Rate (No A-) : 59.82%

Average Withdrawal Rate: 0.00%

Melanie A Kiechle202474.0%16.6%5.6%0.0%3.9%0.0%3.536
Elissa Branum202483.2%11.8%3.3%0.0%1.8%0.0%3.724

Grade Distribution Over Time

1234GPA
Fall 2020Spring 2021Fall 2022Winter 2022Summer I 2023Winter 2023Summer I 2024Fall 2024Term050% W