Our nation has few inconsequential constitutional amendments – maybe the one we repealed – but few, if any, were as revolutionary as the 14th amendment, which addressed citizenship rights and equal protection of the law following the Civil War.

Our series on the legacies and leaders of the Civil War continues with a closer look at this amendment. The experts from the James A. Garfield National Historic Site discuss:

  • what the amendment entails
  • why President Andrew Johnson repeatedly tried to block it
  • how it ended up a vital part of corporate (as well as civil rights) law.

Our Civil War series continues at noon on Wednesday, June 12, at our Main Branch. We’ll learn about Juneteenth. As always, the talk is free and open to all.

By the way, if you’re interested in Civil War history, several talks in our Civil War series can be viewed online in their entirety, including: