Amarica's Constitution Out in the World
Sep 24, 2025
In this engaging discussion, Akhil Reed Amar, a Yale Law professor and author of 'Born Equal', leads a thought-provoking exploration of birth equality. Joined by Kate Shaw, a constitutional law expert, and Kermit Roosevelt, a scholar providing a critical lens on themes of continuity and rupture, the trio dives into the connections among pivotal amendments. They tackle originalism, modern judicial interpretations, and the historical context of equality, stimulating a rich dialogue with audience questions that keeps the conversation dynamic and ongoing.
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Birth Equality As Constitutional Thread
- Akhil Amar reframes 1840–1920 as a coherent constitutional era linking abolition, birthright citizenship, and suffrage amendments.
- He argues Lincoln and others forged a birth-equality principle that reshaped the Constitution's meaning and politics.
Personal Roots In Philadelphia
- Amar recounts visiting Independence Hall at age 11 and deciding to study the Constitution, connecting personal history to the book.
- He dedicates the book in part to his mother, a female doctor, linking the work to female equality.
Linking Four Amendments Into One Project
- Kate Shaw stresses the book's synthesis: treat the 13th, 14th, 15th, and 19th Amendments as a linked constitutional project.
- She says this combined frame reveals a fuller birth-equality narrative often missed in standard teaching.
