My Fellow Americans: Presidents and Their Inaugural Addresses

Tuesday, January 21 | Noon ET

The day after the 2025 presidential inauguration, join leading presidential historians and contributors to the recently published compendium My Fellow Americans: Presidents and Their Inaugural Addresses, including Michael Gerhardt, Kate Masur, and Ted Widmer, as they reflect on inaugural addresses throughout history and how they relate to a president’s legacy. Jeffrey Rosen, president and CEO of the National Constitution Center, moderates. Learn more

IN PERSON AND ONLINE

Reconstruction and the Constitution: A Historical Perspective 

Monday, February 10 | 9:45–11:45 a.m. ET

The National Constitution Center and the Federal Judicial Center convene leading historians for conversations on Reconstruction and the Constitution. Pamela Brandwein of the University of Michigan, Sherrilyn Ifill of Howard University School of Law, and Ilan Wurman of the University of Minnesota Law School will explore the 14th Amendment and the history of Reconstruction. Martha Jones of Johns Hopkins University, Kate Masur of Northwestern University, and Dylan Penningroth of the University of California, Berkeley, will delve into the broader legal and social effects of Reconstruction beyond the amendments. Jeffrey Rosen, president and CEO of the National Constitution Center, moderates. Learn more

This program is presented in partnership with the Federal Judicial Center. 

Juan Williams on the Rise of America’s Second Civil Rights Movement

Wednesday, February 26 | Noon ET

New York Times columnist Jamelle Bouie joins award-winning journalist Juan Williams for a conversation on Williams’ new book, New Prize for These Eyes: The Rise of America’s Second Civil Rights Movement, exploring the emergence of a new civil rights era—from the 2008 election of President Obama to the January 6, 2021 attack on the U.S. Capitol. Thomas Donnelly, chief scholar at the National Constitution Center, moderates. Learn more

The State of Partisanship: Confronting the Challenges of a Divided Nation

Monday, March 3 | 7 p.m. ET

Jonathan Rauch, author of Cross Purposes: Christianity’s Broken Bargain with Democracy, and Julian Zelizer, author of In Defense of Partisanship, join for a wide-ranging discussion on their new books and the rise of partisanship in America. Jeffrey Rosen, president and CEO of the National Constitution Center, moderates. Learn more

Dana Bash on America’s Deadliest Election

Tuesday, March 18 | 7 p.m. ET

Join CNN Anchor and Chief Political Correspondent Dana Bash for a discussion of her book, America’s Deadliest Election: The Cautionary Tale of the Most Violent Election in American History, which explores the little-known story of the 1872 reelection of President Ulysses S. Grant, which nearly pushed American democracy to its breaking point, and what we can learn from it today. Jeffrey Rosen, president and CEO of the National Constitution Center, moderates. Learn more

Michael Lewis on Who Is Government?

Wednesday, March 26 | Noon ET

Best-selling author Michael Lewis discusses his new book, Who Is Government?: The Untold Story of Public Service. As Americans’ distrust in the government continues to grow, Lewis’ book examines how the government works, who works for it, and why their contributions continue to matter. Jeffrey Rosen, president and CEO of the National Constitution Center, moderates. Learn more

The Evolution of the Presidential Pardon From Jefferson to Trump

Thursday, March 27 | 7 p.m. ET

Brian Kalt of Michigan State College of Law and Jeffrey Toobin, author of The Pardon: The Politics of Presidential Mercy, explore the founders’ vision for the pardon power and the use of the presidential pardon throughout American history—from Thomas Jefferson’s pardons to those issued by Presidents Biden and Trump. Jeffrey Rosen, president and CEO of the National Constitution Center, moderates. Learn more

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