PHILADELPHIA, PA (April 15, 2025) – Today, the National Constitution Center (NCC) released a lineup of new programming as part of its America’s Town Hall series of constitutional conversations and debates, moderated by NCC President and CEO Jeffrey Rosen. All programs are free to the public and will be held live online via Zoom and YouTube, and select events held at the Center as noted. The full list of programs, including registration information, is available HERE. All programs are open to the press and require registration.
The spring/summer season of America’s Town Hall kicks off today at noon with historians Rick Atkinson, Mary Beth Norton, and Rosemarie Zagarri discussing the events leading to the first shots of the American Revolution, the Battles at Lexington and Concord, 250 years ago. Also this month, legal experts Amanda Frost, Kurt Lash, Ilan Wurman, and John Yoo analyze the legal challenges surrounding birthright citizenship on April 24.
On Monday, May 12, in partnership with the Brennan Center for Justice, we’ll present a day-long symposium exploring how the Articles of Confederation shaped the U.S. Constitution. Historians, legal scholars, and journalists—including Michael Waldman, Aditya Bamzai, Alicia Bannon, Wilfred Codrington, Jay Cost, Jonathan Gienapp, Johann Neem, Farah Peterson, Jack Rakove, Kermit Roosevelt, Ilya Somin, and Alan Trammell will participate.
Retired Supreme Court Justice and NCC Honorary Co-Chair Stephen G. Breyer joins Christiane Taubira, former French justice minister, on May 15 at the Center for a conversation on democracy, the rule of law, and constitutional traditions from French and American perspectives, presented in partnership with Villa Albertine, the French Institute for Culture and Education. On May 29, in celebration of Jewish American Heritage Month and in partnership with the Weitzman National Museum of American Jewish History, authors Richard Kreitner and Shari Rabin discuss their new books on the broader Jewish experience from the Revolutionary era to the Civil War.
On June 3, legal scholars Gillian Metzger and Saikrishna Prakash examine the founders’ vision for the presidency and how executive authority has changed over time. In celebration of Juneteenth, Pulitzer Prize-winning historian David Levering Lewis, author of the definitive two-volume biography of W.E.B. Du Bois, discusses Du Bois’ life, legacy, and enduring impact on American history on June 19.
On June 23, in partnership with the Sandra Day O’Connor Institute and the Organization of American Historians, legal scholar Akhil Reed Amar and historian and author David Blight join NCC President and CEO Jeffrey Rosen for an in-person event at the Center: a sweeping conversation about the debates that have shaped America from the founding era to today, examining transformative moments in American history and landmark Supreme Court cases.
Rounding out the season, on July 8 in partnership with the Center on the Structural Constitution at Texas A&M University School of Law, the NCC hosts its annual 2025 Supreme Court Review, covering key rulings, public perceptions, and constitutional debates live from the Center. Participants include legal experts, journalists, and historians, including Jonathan Adler, Jess Bravin, Jan Crawford, Daniel Epps, Sarah Isgur, Frederick Lawrence, Melissa Murray, Stephen Vladeck, Daniel Walters, and Keith Whittington. Katherine Mims Crocker and Center President and CEO Jeffrey Rosen join as moderators.
All programs are open to the press. Please RSVP to Moira Bagley Smith or via the program links below.
America's Town Hall Spring/Summer 2025 Programming
NOTE: Programs are subject to change. Visit the National Constitution Center’s website for the most up-to-date program details.
The Day the Revolution Began: Lexington and Concord at 250
Tuesday, April 15 | Noon–1 p.m. ET
Free Online
In celebration of the 250th anniversary of the Battles of Lexington and Concord, historians Rick Atkinson, author of The British Are Coming: The War for America, Lexington to Princeton, 1775-1777; Mary Beth Norton, author of 1774: The Long Year of Revolution; and Rosemarie Zagarri, author of Revolutionary Backlash: Women and Politics in the Early American Republic, explore the events leading to the first shots of the American Revolution, the battles themselves, and the colonists’ response to this pivotal moment in history. Jeffrey Rosen, president and CEO of the National Constitution Center, moderates.
The Future of Birthright Citizenship: A Constitutional Debate
Thursday, April 24 | Noon–1 p.m. ET
Free Online
President Donald Trump’s executive order seeking to end birthright citizenship has reignited debates over the 14th Amendment and the meaning of citizenship in America. Join legal experts Amanda Frost of the University of Virginia School of Law, Kurt Lash of the University of Richmond School of Law, Ilan Wurman of the University of Minnesota Law School, and John Yoo of the University of California, Berkeley School of Law as they analyze the legal challenges surrounding birthright citizenship, explore the constitutional and historical arguments on all sides of this debate, and discuss its broader implications for immigration. Jeffrey Rosen, president and CEO of the National Constitution Center, moderates.
Constitutional Meaning in the Shadow of the Articles of Confederation
Monday, May 12 | 11 a.m.¬–4:15 p.m. ET
Free In Person and Online
The Brennan Center for Justice and the National Constitution Center present a symposium exploring how the Articles of Confederation shaped the U.S. Constitution. Historians, legal scholars, and journalists—including Aditya Bamzai of the University of Virginia School of Law; Alicia Bannon of the Brennan Center; Wilfred Codrington of the Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law and Brennan Center; Jay Cost of the American Enterprise Institute; Jonathan Gienapp of Stanford University; Johann Neem of Western Washington University; Farah Peterson of the University of Chicago School of Law; Jack Rakove of Stanford University; Kermit Roosevelt of University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School; Ilya Somin of Antonin Scalia Law School at George Mason University; and Alan Trammell of Washington and Lee University School of Law—will examine the legacy of the Articles of Confederation, the founding debates over federal power, and the lasting influence of these debates on constitutional interpretation today.
This program is presented in partnership with the Brennan Center for Justice at NYU Law.
Democracy in France and America With Justice Stephen Breyer and Christiane Taubira
Thursday, May 15 | 6:30–7:30 p.m. ET
Free In Person and Online
The Honorable Stephen G. Breyer, associate justice of the U.S. Supreme Court (ret.) and National Constitution Center honorary co-chair, joins Christiane Taubira, former French justice minister, for a conversation on democracy, the rule of law, and constitutional traditions from French and American perspectives. Jeffrey Rosen, president and CEO of the National Constitution Center, moderates.
This program is presented in partnership with Villa Albertine, the French Institute for Culture and Education.
Jewish Americans in the Civil War Era
Thursday, May 29 | Noon–1 p.m. ET
Free Online
In celebration of Jewish American Heritage Month, authors Richard Kreitner (Fear No Pharaoh: American Jews, the Civil War, and the Fight to End Slavery) and Shari Rabin (The Jewish South: An American History) discuss their new books on the broader Jewish experience from the Revolutionary era to the Civil War, how American Jews reckoned with slavery, Jewish participation in the Civil War, and some of the key American Jews who helped shape this tumultuous era. Jeffrey Rosen, president and CEO of the National Constitution Center, moderates.
This program is presented in partnership with the Weitzman National Museum of American Jewish History and in celebration of Jewish American Heritage Month.
Executive Authority: Presidential Power From America’s Founding to Today
Tuesday, June 3 | Noon–1 p.m. ET
Free Online
Legal scholars Gillian Metzger of Columbia Law School and Saikrishna Prakash of the University of Virginia School of Law examine the founders’ vision for the presidency, how presidential power has changed over time, and the key constitutional debates that have shaped the modern presidency. The discussion will also explore how the Trump presidency fits within this historical context and what it means for the future of presidential power. Jeffrey Rosen, president and CEO of the National Constitution Center, moderates.
W.E.B. Du Bois and His Impact on America with David Levering Lewis
Thursday, June 19 | Noon–1 p.m. ET
Free Online
In celebration of Juneteenth, Pulitzer Prize–winning historian David Levering Lewis, author of the definitive two-volume biography of W.E.B. Du Bois, explores Du Bois’ life, legacy, and enduring impact on American history, while also discussing his own new memoir, The Stained Glass Window.
The Story of the U.S. Constitution: Past and Present
Monday, June 23 | 6:30–7:30 p.m. ET
Free In Person and Online
Akhil Reed Amar and David Blight of Yale University join National Constitution Center President and CEO Jeffrey Rosen for a sweeping conversation about the Constitution and the debates that have shaped America—from the founding era to today. They’ll examine transformative moments in American history and landmark Supreme Court decisions.
This program is presented in partnership with the Sandra Day O’Connor Institute and the Organization of American Historians.
2025 Supreme Court Review: Key Rulings, Public Perceptions, and Constitutional Debates
Tuesday, July 8 | 5–7:30 p.m. ET
Free In Person and Online
The National Constitution Center and the Center on the Structural Constitution at Texas A&M University School of Law present a U.S. Supreme Court review symposium featuring leading constitutional law scholars and commentators who will analyze the Court’s most significant rulings of the term. Participants include Jonathan Adler of Case Western Reserve University School of Law, Jess Bravin of The Wall Street Journal, Jan Crawford of CBS News, Daniel Epps of Washington University in St. Louis School of Law, Sarah Isgur of The Dispatch, Frederick Lawrence of Georgetown University Law Center, Melissa Murray of New York University School of Law, Stephen Vladeck of Georgetown University Law Center, Daniel Walters of Texas A&M University School of Law, and Keith Whittington of Yale Law School. In addition to discussing recent decisions, panelists will explore the role of the media, the president, and other political actors in shaping public perceptions of the Court. Katherine Mims Crocker, professor of law at Texas A&M University School of Law, and Jeffrey Rosen, president and CEO of the National Constitution Center, will moderate.
This program is presented in partnership with the Center on the Structural Constitution at Texas A&M University School of Law.
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About the National Constitution Center
The National Constitution Center in Philadelphia brings together people of all ages and perspectives, across America and around the world, to learn about, debate, and celebrate the greatest vision of human freedom in history, the U.S. Constitution. A private, nonprofit organization, the Center serves as America’s leading platform for constitutional education and debate, fulfilling its congressional charter “to disseminate information about the U.S. Constitution on a nonpartisan basis.” As the Museum of We the People, the Center brings the Constitution to life for visitors of all ages through interactive programs and exhibits. As America’s Town Hall, the Center brings the leading conservative and liberal thought leaders together to debate the Constitution on all media platforms. As a Headquarters for Civic Education, the Center delivers the best educational programs and online resources that inspire citizens and engage all Americans in learning about the U.S. Constitution. For more information, call 215-409-6700 or visit constitutioncenter.org.
