Constitutional Perspectives
Welcome back to Constitutional Perspectives! For the last few lessons, I've been telling the story of slavery and the American Constitution. Last time, our story finally reached the outset of the Civil War in 1861. Today, then, I'll be talking about how the war, and its
Constitutional Perspectives
Hello and welcome back to Constitutional Perspectives! Finally, finally, our story is going to reach the breaking of the Constitution that became the American Civil War of 1861-65. I initially thought that both of the last two lessons would have covered this entire period, but it turns out there'
Constitutional Perspectives
Welcome back to Constitutional Perspectives! Last time, we covered the sordid history of American slavery, up though the Philadelphia Convention of 1787. I talked about all the ways – some pretty apparent, some more subtle – in which the "peculiar institution" of slavery shaped the U.S. Constitution. Today I&
Constitutional Perspectives
Welcome back to Constitutional Perspectives! We left off last time on an ominous note. There's something missing from my discussion of the Constitution so far, something lurking in the shadows. You can see the same thing, the same shadowy presence, in the Constitution itself. Scattered throughout the document