This Joint Program of the Sections on Constitutional Law and Legal History will celebrate the 150th anniversary of Reconstruction, the second founding of our nation. The Reconstruction Amendments transformed our Constitution from a document that condoned the institution of slavery to one that prohibits slavery, recognizes the fundamental rights of free persons, and protects individual rights against state infringement. Thus, the Reconstruction Era represents a “new birth of freedom” which laid the groundwork for the twentieth century civil rights movement, the incorporation of the Bill of Rights against state governments, and other advances in human rights in our country. The second panel will consider the present-day significance of the Reconstruction Era for racial equality, individual rights and liberty, women’s rights, and the power to remedy the badges or incidents of slavery. That panel will also discuss Reconstruction’s influence on nation building in the international realm.
The Section held a virtual business meeting prior to the Annual Meeting.