Wide range of topics includes history of the abolitionist movement, slavery and liberty at the time of the founding, Tocqueville in America, amendment reform, civic virtue, and more
PHILADELPHIA, PA (February 1, 2023) – Today, the National Constitution Center released a lineup of new programs as part of its America’s Town Hall series of constitutional conversations and debates. Programs are free to the public and will be held online via Zoom and YouTube. The full list of programs, including registration information, is available HERE.
The thought-provoking programming kicked off last week with a program on affirmative action and the 14th Amendment in partnership with the University of Pennsylvania’s Journal of Constitutional Law as part of their symposium on “The History, Development, and Future of the 14th Amendment,” and featuring Jin Hee Lee of the Legal Defense Fund and Ilan Wurman of Arizona State University. It continues for Black History Month with a program on The History of the Abolitionist Movement, in partnership with the Civil War Museum of Philadelphia and made possible by the generous support of Citizens, and Slavery and Liberty at America’s Founding, a look at liberty and slavery in Revolutionary America.
In March, scholars will convene to discuss Alexis de Tocqueville’s Democracy in America, and how his masterpiece fits in modern America. In partnership with the Center for Constitutional Design at Arizona State University’s Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law, the National Constitution Center will host a comparative discussion of democratic amendment reform both home and abroad. State solicitors general will convene to discuss their roles, a conversation made possible in part by the Center for Excellence in Governance at the National Association of Attorneys General. Rounding out the season of programming, NCC President and CEO Jeffrey Rosen will sit down with authors Christopher Beem, Richard Haass, and Lorraine Pangle, for a discussion of the concepts of civic virtue and citizenship in democratic societies.
The History of the Abolitionist Movement
Thursday, February 9 | 12 p.m. ET
In celebration of Black History Month, the National Constitution Center presents a discussion of the rich history of the abolitionist movement in America with writers and historians Linda Hirshman, author of The Color of Abolition: How a Printer, a Prophet, and a Contessa Moved a Nation, and Manisha Sinha, author of The Slave’s Cause: A History of Abolition. They will explore the abolitionist roots of constitutional change, focusing on key figures including Maria Weston Chapman, Frederick Douglass, William Lloyd Garrison, Harriet Tubman, and more. Thomas Donnelly, chief content officer at the National Constitution Center, moderates.
This program is made possible through the generous support of Citizens and presented in partnership with the Civil War Museum of Philadelphia.
Slavery and Liberty at America’s Founding
Tuesday, February 28 | 7 p.m. ET
Join historian Edward Larson and others for a conversation on Larson’s new book, American Inheritance: Liberty and Slavery in the Birth of a Nation, 1765-1795, exploring the paradox of liberty and slavery in Revolutionary America. Jeffrey Rosen, president and CEO of the National Constitution Center, moderates.
Lessons from Tocqueville in America
Monday, March 6 | 12 p.m. ET
Alexis de Tocqueville’s Democracy in America has been called by Harvey Mansfield the “best book ever written on democracy and the best book ever written on America.” What can a 200-year-old book teach us about democracy in America today? Join Jeremy Jennings, author of Travels with Tocqueville Beyond America; Olivier Zunz, author of The Man Who Understood Democracy: The Life of Alexis de Tocqueville; and Catherine Zuckert of the University of Notre Dame, for a discussion of Tocqueville’s masterpiece and its lessons for modern Americans. Jeffrey Rosen, president and CEO of the National Constitution Center, moderates.
Amendment Reform in America and Abroad
Thursday, March 16 | 7 p.m. ET
The National Constitution Center and the Center for Constitutional Design at Arizona State University present a comparative discussion of how democracies amend their constitutions, at home and around the world. Join a panel of distinguished scholars, including Wilfred Codrington of Brooklyn Law School, Chief Judge Jeffrey Sutton of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit, and others as they survey the constitutional amendment process around the world to cast light on our debates in the U.S. Jeffrey Rosen, president and CEO of the National Constitution Center, moderates.
This program is presented in partnership with the Center for Constitutional Design at Arizona State University's Sandra Day O'Connor College of Law.
The Constitutional Role of the State Solicitor General
Friday, March 24 | 1 p.m. ET
The National Constitution Center and the National Association of Attorneys General host a bipartisan conversation with Dan Schweitzer, director and chief counsel of the National Association of Attorneys General Center for Supreme Court Advocacy; Lindsay See, solicitor general of West Virginia; and Barbara Underwood, solicitor general of New York, exploring the history of the office of the solicitor general, the role of state solicitors in litigating cases before the Supreme Court, and some of the landmark cases they have litigated. Jeffrey Rosen, president and CEO of the National Constitution Center, moderates.
This program is presented in partnership with the Center for Excellence in Governance at the National Association of Attorneys General.
Civic Virtue and Citizenship
Thursday, March 30 | 12 p.m. ET
Join Christopher Beem, author of The Seven Democratic Virtues: What You Can Do to Overcome Tribalism and Save Our Democracy; Richard Haass, author of The Bill of Obligations: The Ten Habits of Good Citizens; and Lorraine Pangle, author of Reason and Character: The Moral Foundations of Aristotelian Political Philosophy, for a discussion of the concepts of civic virtue and citizenship in democratic societies. Jeffrey Rosen, president and CEO of the National Constitution Center, moderates.
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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.
