The Pursuit
OUR NEW TALK SHOW!
American Exceptionalism – How and Why It Matters Featuring Constituting America Founder, Actress Janine Turner. Episodes now available on ROKU, YouTube, Apple, and Spotify.
Our Reach | Our Impact
Constituting America has engaged millions of Americans both online and via the national media, through promotion of our winners’ songs, PSA’s and short films, and through our national school speaking program.
508 Million
Impressions via 5 social media platforms
204 Million
Impressions via 81 radio stations
Best Song Winners
141 Million
Households via 275 TV stations
Best PSA Winners
8.5 Million
“History Holds the Key to the Future” Program Video Views via YouTube
Annual Scholarly Study Series
173,974
Students & Adults via 3,005 classes & events
Constituting America Classroom Presentations
209,000
Moviegoers via 272 Film Festival Acceptances
Best Short Film Winners
America’s 250th anniversary is a moment to reflect on our founding principles and the remarkable story of our nation. Discover the people, ideas, and documents that shaped the United States and continue to inspire generations.
History Holds the Key to the Future
2026 Study–The Consent of the Governed: Celebrating America’s 250th Anniversary of the Declaration of Independence
Today’s Essay
Essay 15-A: The Fifteenth Amendment, Black Male Suffrage, and Consent
The word republic comes from the Latin phrase res publica, which translates to “thing of the people.” In a republic, government exists for the people, and its authority depends on their consent. But this consent is not just an abstract idea — it must be expressed and recognized in practice. Citizens grant legitimacy to the government when they participate in it including voting in elections. Few moments in American history illustrate this principle more vividly than the extension of suffrage to Black men through the Fifteenth Amendment in 1870, especially after their service and sacrifice during the Civil War. By granting Black men the right to vote, the United States recognized that defending the republic carried with it a rightful claim to political voice and citizenship.
Before the Civil War, Black Americans — whether enslaved or free — were largely excluded from the political community. In 1857, the Supreme Court’s decision in Dred Scott v. Sandford, written by Chief Justice Roger B. Taney declared that Black Americans were not citizens of the United States and therefore had no political rights the federal government was bound to protect. This ruling made clear that, despite claims of popular sovereignty, consent in the republic was reserved for a narrow portion of the population.
Programs and Initiatives
Our online 90-Day studies cover such topics as The Federalist Papers; The Constitution; The Amendments; The Classics That Inspired the Constitution; Presidential Elections in History; The Executive Branch; The Congress; The Supreme Court, and much more!
We thank Americana Corner’s Preserving America Grant Program for making a portion of this program possible.
Our mission is to utilize the culture and multi-media outreach such as television, music, film, internet, and social media to reach, educate and inform America’s adults and students about the importance of the U.S. Constitution and the foundation it sets forth regarding our freedoms and rights.
Our multi-tiered approach features a contest for kids, a school speaking program, weekly podcasts, academic forums with Constitutional Scholars, and national promotion of our winners’ works–impacting the culture with the Constitution.
Thank You to Our Donors
Constituting America wishes to thank the generous donors who make our projects possible! Constituting America is recognized by the Internal Revenue Service as a 501(c)(3) organization. As a public charity under Section 501(c)(3), contributions are tax deductible. Click here to view our most recent Annual Report. Click here to support our Constitution Education Programs, powered by YOU!
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