NATIONAL ARCHIVES CELEBRATES THE

150TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE 13TH AMENDMENT
DECEMBER 7

Emancipation, America’s Second Founding, and the Challenges That
Remain

Washington, DC. . . On Monday, December 7, at 7 p.m., the National
Archives hosts a special panel discussion:  “The 13th Amendment at
150:  Emancipation, America’s Second Founding, and the Challenges
That Remain.”    

This event is free and open to the public and will be held in the
William G. McGowan Theater of the National Archives Museum in
Washington, DC and streamed live on YouTube.  Attendees should use
the Special Events entrance on Constitution at 7th Street NW.  Metro
accessible on the Yellow and Green lines, Archives/Navy Memorial
station. Reservations are recommended and can be made online.
Seating is on a first-come, first-served basis. The doors to the
building will open 45 minutes prior to the start of the program.

The 13th Amendment, which banned slavery throughout the United
States, began a wave of constitutional transformations that followed
through on President Lincoln’s promise of “a new birth of freedom”
and has been described as the “Second Founding.” For the 150th
anniversary of the ratification of the 13th Amendment, a panel of
experts will explore the challenges that remain. Jeffrey Rosen,
president of the National Constitution Center, will moderate a
discussion with Representative G.K. Butterfield (D-NC), chair of the
Congressional Black Caucus; Judge Bernice Donald, U.S. Court of Appeals
for the Sixth Circuit; Judge James Wynn, U.S. Court of Appeals for the
Fourth Circuit; Thavolia Glymph, professor of history, Duke University;
Richard Brookhiser, author and journalist; and Kate Masur, professor of
history, Northwestern University. A book signing of Richard
Brookhiser’s Founders’ Son: A Life of Lincoln will follow the
program. This event is presented in partnership with the Constitutional
Accountability Center and the National Constitution Center.

Related resources:

·         Online exhibit on the 13th Amendment and its
history.

·         Free National Archives eBook on the story of the
creation of the 13th Amendment:  “The Meaning and Making of
Emancipation.

·         Prologue “Pieces of History” blog post:
“Emancipation Proclamation: The 13th Amendment.”

·         Prologue “Pieces of History” blog post:
“Baseball and the 13th Amendment.”