The U. S. Constitution is unique in many respects while also containing a number of ironies. In the Declaration of Independence, the signers staked out a new path for government that rejected the concept of the Divine Right of Kings. Instead, they opted for a democratically-based approach to governmental legitimacy: that the power to govern flows from the consent of the governed. Despite this commitment to the consent of the governed, the framers of the Constitution did not fully embrace democratic principles. While they adopted and integrated Baron De Montesquieu’s notion of the separation of powers, they at the same time prevented democratic majorities from exercising their will. Most black men and all women were omitted from democratic participation, which was hardly egalitarian. “The People’s Constitution: Our 18th Century Constitution in Modern Context” seeks to understand how our nation has functioned under our unique constitution for the past 229 years. This conference is produced in association with the University of Louisville’s Louis D. Brandeis School of Law. The keynote lecture will be held at The Filson Historical Society at 6:00 p.m. on Friday, November 4 and will be followed by a day of lectures on Saturday, November 5 from 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.

For a full schedule of speakers and lectures on Friday and Saturday, click here.