Constitution Daily Blog
Civil War
Chester Alan Arthur’s brave, short presidency
Fewer leaders had lower public expectations than Chester Alan Arthur, but fewer people knew the 21st President was dealing with a…
On This Day, Abraham Lincoln is elected President
On November 6, 1860, voters in the United States went to the polls in an election that ended with Abraham Lincoln as President, in…
Remembering William Seward’s Alaska ‘folly’
In today’s popular culture, William Seward is best known for his association with Abraham Lincoln. But his name is also forever…
Rutherford B. Hayes: Controversial and little remembered
Today marks the birthday of the one of the most controversial U.S. presidents, Rutherford B. Hayes, who took office amid a…
The Emancipation Proclamation’s other anniversary
President Abraham Lincoln altered the course of the Civil War and American society when the Emancipation Proclamation was issued…
Five lessons we can learn from George Washington’s Farewell Address
On September 19, 1796, a Philadelphia newspaper published one of the greatest documents in American history: George Washington’s…
Blame Abraham Lincoln for the nation’s first national Income Tax
Most people aren’t big fans of a national income tax, but it was on this day back in 1861 that the first one was levied by the…
On this day, a committee forms to write the Declaration of Independence
On June 11, 1776, the Second Continental Congress asked five delegates to write the draft version of the Declaration of…
Lincoln and Taney’s great writ showdown
On May 28, 1861, Supreme Court Chief Justice Roger Taney directly challenged President Abraham Lincoln’s wartime suspension of…
A look at landmark Supreme Court cases on race and the Constitution
As the U.S. Supreme Court considers two important cases about affirmative action and higher education, Constitution Daily looks at…
