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On the road to freedom, one (gradual) step at a time
Another fascinating piece of history arrived at the Constitution Center last week – Pennsylvania’s Act for the Gradual Abolition of Slavery passed by the General Assembly on March 1, 1780. It is on...
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Why is Feb. 1 designated as National Freedom Day?
Editor’s note: The National Constitution Center celebrates African American History Month with a variety of programs and exhibits that spotlight the story of the African American experience and the...
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This week and the Constitution: Gay marriage, relevance and killer whales
News headlines, politicians, and hot-button issues come and go, but one 225-year-old document continues to emerge in our conversations about our nation’s most important questions and challenges: the...
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Federalism in 1868 and 2012
Federal Government and American Union circa 1862. Via Wikimedia Commons, published by J.T. Pompilly. 146 years ago today, Congress signed into law the Civil Rights Act of 1866. The law – with certain...
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Tax holiday inspired by freedom
Editor’s note: on April 12, 2012 Harold Holzer joined Drew Gilpin Faust, President of Harvard University and the Lincoln Professor of History in Harvard’s Faculty of Arts and Sciences, in a...
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Abraham Lincoln and the two 13th Amendments
“Lincoln,” directed by Steven Spielberg and written by Tony Kushner tells the story of Lincoln’s cunning in the passage by the House of Representatives of the 13th Amendment. The film is set shortly...
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How Frederick Douglass’s first speech got him noticed
Frederick Douglass, whose birthday is honored on February 14, was born a slave in 1818, and now remembered for his eloquence, activism, and fearless championing against slavery. The exact date of his...
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Happy birthday, 13th Amendment!
Slaves in Virginia in the 1670s. Source: Wikimedia Commons. Today we celebrate the anniversary of the 13th Amendment (ratified December 6, 1865). Here’s what you need to know: WHAT IT DOES The 13th...
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