Monday, May 12, 11 a.m.–4 p.m.
National Constitution Center
525 Arch Street
Philadelphia
RSVP to attend this free event in person
RSVP here to attend virtually

The Roberts Court has increasingly relied on history to resolve some of the most important constitutional questions of our time. Embracing a form of interpretation called “originalism,” the Court’s conservative majority argues that the original public understanding of the Constitution is what really counts. But discerning the goals and assumptions of those who ratified the Constitution requires an understanding of the document they were replacing: the Articles of Confederation.

Today, the articles are ignored as a false start, but that’s a mistake. The Constitution was an explicit attempt to form a union “more perfect” than that of the Articles of Confederation, which provides vital context for the framers’ choices.

Join us virtually or in person in Philadelphia to watch historians, journalists, law professors, and political scientists explore how the nation’s first experiment in self-governance paved the way for the Constitution we have today. Panelists will examine the legacy of the Articles of Confederation, the founding debates over federal power, and the lasting influence of these debates on modern-day constitutional interpretation.