Jacob Merritt Howard, born in 1805, made significant contributions to American constitutional law, despite being less well-known than some Founding Fathers. He played a pivotal role in drafting and passing the 13th, 14th, and 15th Amendments to the United States Constitution. Howard's early involvement in the Toledo War, a boundary dispute, preceded his tenure in the Michigan legislature and later election to Congress in 1840. As a U.S. Senator from 1861, Howard collaborated closely with President Lincoln on the abolition of chattel slavery through the 13th Amendment.