This course explores the connections between science, politics and social conventions in the period known as the Early Republic. Topics include the relationship between scientific theories and the temperance movement, gender roles, and scientific racism. Consideration of how the medical was political runs throughout the course as the challenges of microbes, diet, climate, and shifting definitions of ‘race’ and ‘citizen’ are explored. Course readings highlight the intersection of science, politics, race, and gender during this foundational period in American History.