The 14th Amendment and the History of Reconstruction

The National Constitution Center and the Federal Judicial Center convene leading historians for conversations on Reconstruction and the Constitution. Pamela Brandwein of the University of Michigan, Sherrilyn Ifill of Howard University School of Law, and Ilan Wurman of the University of Minnesota Law School explore the 14th Amendment and the history of Reconstruction. Jeffrey Rosen, president and CEO of the National Constitution Center, moderates.

This program is presented in partnership with the Federal Judicial Center.

Resources

• Ilan Wurman, The Second Founding: An Introduction to the Fourteenth Amendment (2020)
• Pamela Brandwein, Rethinking the Judicial Settlement of Reconstruction (2011)
• Sherrilyn Ifill, “Why are U.S. courts afraid of the 14th Amendment? Because it’s radical,” The Washington Post (Nov. 23, 2023)
• Sherrilyn Ifill, “Yes, this is America: Why I’m Creating the 14th Amendment Center for Law and Democracy,” Substack (July 7, 2023)
• 14th Amendment
• Title VI, Civil Rights Act of 1964
• The Civil Rights Bill of 1866
• The Reconstruction Amendments
• Brown v. Board of Education

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