Origins of the US Constitution: The Reconstruction Amendments

Dr. Todd Arrington from James A. Garfield National Historic Site and our own Dr. John Foster discuss how the 13th, 14th, and 15th amendments shaped our nation's past and inform its present. They also explain why the amendments were necessary during (in the case of the 13th amendment) and after the Civil War. Finally, Dr. Foster provides examples of how the amendments have been subverted by narrow readings from the Supreme Court.