Location
Beveridge Hall, Senate House
The Deana & Jack Eisenberg Lecture in Public History 2017
The Second Founding: How the Civil War and Reconstruction Changed the American Constitution
Speaker: Professor Eric Foner (Columbia University)
The preservation of the American nation and the destruction of slavery, the two most profound consequences of the Civil War, raised questions about the definition of American citizenship, the rights of the former slaves, and relations between the states and federal government. Three constitutional amendments were adopted during the Reconstruction period following the war which fundamentally changed the rights of citizens and the powers of the federal government. This lecture will consider the legal, political, and social consequences of amending the Constitution in the 1860s.
The lecture is free and open to all but advance registration is required
Lecture: 6.00-7.30pm
Reception: 7.30-8.30pm