I’m looking forward to it because Professor (Vernon) Burton and the others who have organized this have invited a very high-powered group of scholars. Constitution through the 13th, 14th and 15th amendments that were added after the Civil War - how they were interpreted by the Supreme Court, how they were battled over by different groups of people trying to implement them and what they mean to us today. I’m going to distill the ideas in my book about how the Civil War and Reconstruction changed the U.S. Question: How are you preparing for your keynote?įoner: What I’m going to be speaking about is what I’m currently writing about, what I’m thinking about. Foner will be followed by a keynote titled “Optimism and Pessimism in the African American Racial Imagination” from Harvard University Law School’s Randall Kennedy.īefore arriving later this month, Foner spoke about his keynote, what conference guests can expect to learn and how everyday life inspired him professionally.

28, as part of the Lincoln’s Unfinished Work conference at Clemson University. For Foner, these ideals are actually part of a “Second Founding” that came about thanks to post-Civil War amendments, a concept he’ll be discussing during his opening night keynote on Wednesday, Nov. He is embarking on the journey once again for his forthcoming book in which he’ll explore the notions of equality and citizenship that we’ve come to know as part of the U.S. We ask that you download the app in advance for the best user experience.“Writing history is like figuring out a detective plot.”įor best-selling author Eric Foner, putting together the pieces is part of the creative process. After registering, participants will receive a confirmation email with instructions on how to participate using Zoom. Please note that the program will take place online. From today's battles over the right to vote to how to deal with domestic terrorism, issues central to Reconstruction remain on our agenda, a century and a half after the end of the Civil War. They offer untapped opportunities today for addressing the racial inequalities that have become so visible in a year of protest against systemic racism and a pandemic that has affected those already disadvantaged more severely than other Americans.

Join Eric Foner, DeWitt Clinton Professor Emeritus of History at Columbia University, for a talk examining Reconstruction's most tangible legacies-the Thirteenth, Fourteenth, and Fifteenth Amendments-how they changed the Constitution, and why knowledge of their history is essential to thinking about the current racial situation.

Foner second founding