Slavery and the Civil War Resources

Slavery was embedded into the nation's fabric when the delegates to the Constitutional Convention wrote protections for slaveholders into our nations’s charter. Debates over slavery continued in the decades to come, culminating in the Civil War.

Live from the Museum: Civil War and Reconstruction

Wednesday, October 18 | Noon ET



Explore the Center’s compelling exhibit, Civil War and Reconstruction: The Battle for Freedom and Equality, as one of our museum educators leads viewers through the exhibit. Learn how constitutional clashes over slavery set the stage for the Civil War, and how the nation transformed the Constitution after the war during the Reconstruction period. Along the way, you’ll hear the stories of people central to the conflict over slavery and take a look at special artifacts on display.

Monthly Civil War & Reconstruction Tours are made possible through the generosity of TD Bank. To see a full list of virtual museum experiences and to register, visit our website.

Primary Text: Petition to the Massachusetts Legislature (1777)

Prince Hall was a free African American living in Boston. He began a petition campaign to end slavery in 1773. But after 1776, he had new authority to draw on—the power of the Declaration of Independence and its commitment to natural rights.

In January 1777—six months after Congress issued the Declaration of Independence—Prince Hall presented a new petition for freedom to the Massachusetts Legislature on behalf of seven African Americans. Like the Declaration of Independence itself, Hall rooted his argument in a powerful vision of natural rights, arguing that slavery itself violated the “natural & inalienable right to that freedom.

Search the Founders’ Library for texts that have shaped the American constitutional tradition or the Supreme Court Cases Library for materials on the most influential Supreme Court cases in American history.

Exhibit Interactive: In Their Own Words

In the 1930s during the Great Depression, the federal Works Progress Administration conducted interviews of formerly enslaved individuals. Listen to their recollections about slavery and freedom, in their own words.

Podcast: Untold Stories of Women and the Civil War

Listen to a conversation about the untold stories of women abolitionists, suffragists, and even soldiers during the Civil War. Thavolia Glymph of Duke University, Kate Masur of Northwestern University, and Catherine Clinton of the University of Texas in San Antonio share fascinating stories from the lives of women like Harriet Scott, Ida B. Wells, and Harriet Tubman. 

Our podcasts allow listeners to hear the best arguments on all sides of the constitutional issues at the center of American life. Listen now.

Reconstruction Era Resources

Following the Civil War’s end, Radical Republicans in Congress worked to rebuild our nation on a stronger constitutional foundation, passing our nation’s first civil rights laws and ratifying the 13th, 14th, and 15th Amendments. These amendments ended slavery by writing the Declaration of Independence’s promise of freedom and equality into the Constitution, and promising to end racial discrimination in voting.

Exhibit Interactive: Officeholders by the Numbers



Join us for a crash course in voting rights throughout history. Students will take a look at voting rights in early America, how these rights changed over time, and discover the inspiring stories of historic figures who insisted on equality at the ballot box for all.

Artifact Spotlight: Poll Tax Receipt (1918)



To restore white rule and drive African Americans from politics, white Southerners instituted strict voter registration requirements like poll taxes which many Black people could not afford. If their taxes went unpaid, individuals could lose their right to vote or be forced into hard labor in a chain gang. See this artifact and more in the online exhibit of the Center's Civil War and Reconstruction: The Battle for Freedom and Equality exhibit.

Professional Learning for Educators

Principles of the American Revolution and the U.S. Constitution Featuring Professor Andy Shankman

Wednesday, October 18 | 6:30-8 p.m ET

In this session, participants examine the form of government established by the Constitution and its key ideas. This includes a study of natural rights, the rule of law, and popular sovereignty. We will look at primary sources from the founding era to examine how they set the foundation for American democracy. Professor Andy Shankman of Rutgers University joins us.

More from the National Constitution Center

2023 Liberty Medal Ceremony

Friday, October 27

The National Constitution Center will honor Judy Woodruff and David Rubenstein at the 35th annual Liberty Medal ceremony for their inspiring work in modeling and promoting civil dialogue about the shared values of liberty that unite Americans. Learn more about the Liberty Medal.

Thank you for being part of our community of educators. If you have any questions we’d love to hear from you. Please email the education team at [email protected].

Connect with us

Interactive Constitution | Professional Development | Events Calendar | Online Learning Opportunities

The National Constitution Center's education team is here to help with any of our online resources. Email [email protected] with questions or comments on how we can help you and your students with your remote learning needs.

Update your email preferences by clicking the Update Profile link below to subscribe to other National Constitution Center newsletters and manage how often you hear from us.