Seminar on Original Meaning: Linguistic Analysis of Legal Texts
Class One (Wed, Jan 13)

Discussion Assignment Three: Linguistic drift – or what in the world does this mean?

Article I, Section 3, Paragraph 7 of the US Constitution, states:

“Judgment in cases of impeachment shall not extend further than to removal from office, and disqualification to hold and enjoy any office of honor, trust or profit under the United States”

In class we will consider which “offices” under the United States Donald Trump would be disqualified from holding in the future if he is impeached and convicted in the Senate.

We will practice using the website of the Corpus of Founding Era American English to investigate the possible meaning(s) at the time of drafting and ratification of the phrase: “office of honor, trust or profit”.