Our 2024 Annual Report is now available. Look back with us on highlights from a memorable milestone year, and preview what’s ahead for the Center as we prepare for America’s 250th birthday. Read the report | |
Debate at America’s Town Hall
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Constitutional Meaning in the Shadow of the Articles of Confederation
Monday, May 12 | 11 a.m.–4:15 p.m. ET
The Brennan Center for Justice and the National Constitution Center present a symposium exploring how the Articles of Confederation shaped the U.S. Constitution. Historians, legal scholars, and journalists—including Aditya Bamzai of the University of Virginia School of Law; Jay Cost of American Enterprise Institute; Jonathan Gienapp of Stanford University; Johann Neem of Western Washington University; Farah Peterson of the University of Chicago School of Law; Jack Rakove of Stanford University; Kermit Roosevelt of University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School; Amanda Shanor of the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania; Ilya Somin of Antonin Scalia Law School at George Mason University; and Alan Trammell of Washington and Lee University School of Law—will examine the legacy of the Articles of Confederation, the founding debates over federal power, and the lasting influence of these debates on constitutional interpretation today.
Moderators and special guest speakers include NCC President and CEO Jeffrey Rosen, Brennan Center President and CEO Michael Waldman, Brennan Center Judiciary Program Director Alicia Bannon, Brennan Center Fellow Wilfred Codrington, Brennan Center Steven M. Polan Fellow in Constitutional Law and History Maureen Edobar, and Congressman Jamie Raskin of Maryland. Learn more
Please note: The in-person event is sold out. To attend this event, please register for the livestream below.
| | This program is presented in partnership with the Brennan Center for Justice at NYU Law. | |
Democracy in France and America With Justice Stephen Breyer and Christiane Taubira
Thursday, May 15 | 6:30 p.m. ET
The Honorable Stephen G. Breyer, associate justice of the U.S. Supreme Court (ret.) and National Constitution Center honorary co-chair, joins Christiane Taubira, former French justice minister, for a conversation on democracy, the rule of law, and constitutional traditions from French and American perspectives. Jeffrey Rosen, president and CEO of the National Constitution Center, moderates. Learn more
Please note: The in-person event is sold out. To attend this event, please register for the livestream below.
| | This program is presented in partnership with Villa Albertine’s series, Democracy in an Age of Uncertainty: French and American Perspectives. The series is made possible by the generous support of the Judy and Peter Blum Kovler Foundation. | |
Jewish Americans in the Civil War Era
Thursday, May 29 | Noon ET
In celebration of Jewish American Heritage Month, authors Richard Kreitner (Fear No Pharaoh: American Jews, the Civil War, and the Fight to End Slavery) and Shari Rabin (The Jewish South: An American History) discuss their new books on the broader Jewish experience from the Revolutionary era to the Civil War, how American Jews reckoned with slavery, Jewish participation in the Civil War, and some of the key American Jews who helped shape this tumultuous era. Jeffrey Rosen, president and CEO of the National Constitution Center, moderates. Learn more
| | This program is presented in partnership with the Weitzman National Museum of American Jewish History and in celebration of Jewish American Heritage Month. | |
Asian American & Pacific Islanders Heritage Month / Jewish American Heritage Month
May 2025
This May, celebrate both Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month and Jewish American Heritage Month at the National Constitution Center. Explore the impact and legacy of historical figures like Fred Korematsu, Justice Louis Brandeis, and suffragists Mabel Ping Hua Lee and Ernestine Hara Kettler. Learn more
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Memorial Day Weekend
Saturday, May 24–Monday, May 26
All weekend long, the National Constitution Center will honor the nation’s fallen servicemembers by highlighting the history of Memorial Day, taking a closer look at famous memorials and monuments, and uncovering the complexities of how a nation remembers. In addition to access to all the Center’s exhibits and artifacts, programming includes flag ceremonies, trivia, artifact highlights, family-friendly scholarly talks, as well as crafts for learners of all ages. Learn more
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Constitution in the Headlines
Constitution in the Headlines is a collection of curated resources designed to help contextualize constitutional topics in the news. Learn more
Proposed Voter Registration Changes
Presidential actions and proposed legislation in recent weeks could reshape how people register to vote for federal elections. Learn more
The Presidency and Tariffs
In March 2025, President Trump announced a series of sweeping tariffs on goods from Mexico, Canada, China, and other countries. These developments have sparked renewed debate about the scope of presidential power in matters of trade. What is the constitutional basis for imposing tariffs and how do emergency powers factor into these decisions? Learn more
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Live From the Museum: Signers’ Hall Virtual Tour
Monday, May 19 | Noon ET
Join us for a tour of Signers’ Hall, the iconic exhibit featuring life-size statues of the 42 men who gathered in Philadelphia on May 25, 1787, for the opening of the Constitutional Convention. We will explore the events that led up to the Constitutional Convention, the debates between the delegates, and the compromises that led to the Constitution that was signed on September 17, 1787. Register now
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The Future of Birthright Citizenship: A Constitutional Debate
Run time: 1 hour
On May 15, the Supreme Court will hear oral arguments in a case challenging the constitutionality of President Trump’s executive order which seeks to end birthright citizenship for the children of undocumented immigrants. Legal scholars Gabriel Chin, Amanda Frost, Kurt Lash, and Ilan Wurman join Jeffrey Rosen to debate the scope of the citizenship clause of the 14th Amendment. Watch now
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The Day the Revolution Began: Lexington and Concord at 250
Run time: 58 minutes
In celebration of the 250th anniversary of the Battles of Lexington and Concord, historians Rick Atkinson, Mary Beth Norton, and Rosemarie Zagarri join Jeffrey Rosen to explore the events leading to the first shots of the American Revolution, the battles themselves, and the colonists’ response to this pivotal moment in history. Watch now
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Are Religious Charter Schools Constitutional?
Run time: 1 hour
On April 30, the Supreme Court heard oral arguments in Oklahoma Statewide Charter School Board v. Drummond, which examines the constitutionality of religious charter schools. In this episode, Michael McConnell and Steven Green join Jeffrey Rosen to recap the oral arguments, debate the meaning and history of the Free Exercise and Establishment Clauses, and survey the Court’s other religion cases from this term. Listen now
Do the Trump Tariffs Violate the Constitution?
Run time: 56 minutes
Steven Calabresi of Northwestern University and Samuel Estreicher of New York University join Jeffrey Rosen to discuss the statutory authority for President Trump’s tariffs and whether they violate federal law or the Constitution. Listen now
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What are the president’s powers under the Insurrection and Militia Acts?
by Scott Bomboy | Read time: 4 minutes
“By April 20, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth and Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem are expected to make recommendations to President Donald Trump about invoking the Insurrection Act of 1807 at the southern border of the United States. What is the act and how did the law come into play? …” Read more
Understanding voter registration changes proposed by Congress and the president
by Scott Bomboy | Read time: 5 minutes
“Presidential actions and proposed legislation in recent weeks could reshape how people register to vote for federal elections. What changes are possibly coming from Washington and what are the potential constitutional questions raised by them? …” Read more
Alien Enemies Act case heads to federal court in Texas
by Scott Bomboy | Read time: 5 minutes
“A divided Supreme Court on Monday night sent a high-profile case to Texas from Washington, D.C., involving a dispute over Trump administration’s use of the Alien Enemies Act (AEA) to deport alleged gang members. …” Read more
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