May 9, 2019
Civil War and Reconstruction: The Battle for Freedom and Equality
The National Constitution Center’s new permanent exhibit, Civil War and Reconstruction: The Battle for Freedom and Equality, is the first in America devoted to exploring how constitutional clashes over slavery set the stage for the Civil War, and how the nation transformed the Constitution after the war to more fully embrace the Declaration of Independence’s promise of liberty and equality. Through remarkable artifacts and rare documents from one of the largest private Civil War collections in America—the Civil War Museum of Philadelphia—and other partners, the 3,000 square foot exhibit brings to life the stories of Frederick Douglass, Abraham Lincoln, Harriet Tubman, and other figures central to the conflict over slavery. The exhibit also features the inspiring stories of lesser known individuals to help shed light on the American experience under slavery, the battle for freedom during the Civil War, and the fight for equality during Reconstruction, which many call the nation’s “Second Founding.” In doing so, visitors will learn the history of three constitutional amendments added between 1865 and 1870, which ended slavery, required states to respect individual rights, promised equal protection to all people, and expanded the right to vote to African-American men.
Discover the stories of African American men who held political office during Reconstruction.
MoreListen to recollections of slavery and freedom from formerly enslaved individuals.
MoreLearn about how the drafting of the 14th Amendment's provisions changed over time.
MorePress Releases
Full List of Exhibit Artifacts
Onsite Educational Programming
Opening Program: A Conversation with Henry Louis Gates, Jr.
Featured below are exhibit and artifact images, and appropriate credits. Contact Merissa Blum at [email protected] or 215-409-6645 with questions or for additional information.
Courtesy of the National Constitution Center by Peter Van Beever.
View & SaveCourtesy of the National Constitution Center by Peter Van Beever.
View & SaveCourtesy of the National Constitution Center by Peter Van Beever.
View & SaveCourtesy of the National Constitution Center by Peter Van Beever.
View & SaveCourtesy of the National Constitution Center by Peter Van Beever.
View & SaveCourtesy of the National Constitution Center by Peter Van Beever.
View & SaveCourtesy of the National Constitution Center by Peter Van Beever.
View & SaveCourtesy of the National Constitution Center by Peter Van Beever.
View & SaveCourtesy of the National Constitution Center by Peter Van Beever.
View & SaveOn loan from The Galbraith Family 2012 Trust
View & SaveCourtesy of the Library of Virginia
View & SaveCourtesy of The Civil War Museum of Philadelphia and The Abraham Lincoln Foundation of The Union League of Philadelphia
View & SaveCollection of the Civil War Museum of Philadelphia on loan from Gettysburg Foundation
View & SaveFrom the Collection of the Civil War Museum of Philadelphia on loan from Gettysburg Foundation
View & SaveFrom the Collection of the Civil War Museum of Philadelphia on loan from Gettysburg Foundation
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