Today we kick off a special series adapted from the We the People Open Course, a free online course on the U.S. Constitution that you can find at Learn.civiced.org. We're joined by Dr. Scott Casper, president of the American Antiquarian Society. To start, we ask him: What questions did the Framers consider when designing the three branches of the national government?

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By the time of Abraham Lincoln's Second Inaugural Address on March 4, 1865, the Civil War was winding down. Learn more about his hopes for a just and a lasting peace after the war!

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Abraham Lincoln's Gettysburg Address, given on November 19, 1863, recognized the central importance of founding-era principles to the meaning and destiny of America. Learn more about this famous address in this episode!

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Abraham Lincoln tried to revive and renew political principles that defined America at its birth in 1776 throughout his political career. Listen to learn more!

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While Lincoln justified his Emancipation Proclamation as an act of military necessity, he understood that a constitutional amendment was required to abolish slavery immediately and everywhere in the United States. Learn more in this episode!

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On September 22, 1862, President Abraham Lincoln publicly announced his Preliminary Emancipation Proclamation. It warned the Confederate rebels that unless they rejoined the Union, a final proclamation would free all slaves within the seceded states. Listen to learn more!

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After winning the 1860 presidential election, Lincoln repeated his long-held opposition to slavery. However, he insisted that the federal government would not take action against slavery in the states where it existed. Learn more about this dissonance in this episode!

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Through his executive power, Lincoln took strong action against the rebellion, including suspending the writ of habeas corpus. This decision would face opposition and challenges in the Supreme Court. Listen for more!

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At the outset of the Civil War, Abraham Lincoln suspended the privilege of the writ of habeas corpus, which is a court order directing that a prisoner be brought to court before a judge to determine whether that prisoner???s detention is lawful. Learn more about the implications of this action today!

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The Prize Cases, which came before the Supreme Court in 1863, posed a constitutional test of President Abraham Lincoln's use of war powers during an emergency. Learn more about the impact of this judicial ruling!

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