Eric Slauter on The Pocket Constitution: A Portable History

October Evening Program

Carrying a constitution is nothing new. The earliest pocket-sized constitutions originated in the 1770s, part of a revolutionary attempt to create stable governments by describing political powers and rights with words on paper and then printing and distributing those words widely. Since the American Revolution, small-scale constitutions have played roles in civic education and campaigns for equal rights. Copies have proliferated at moments of national crisis, and these understudied artifacts of everyday constitutionalism have addressed the needs of different groups – including political parties across the ideological spectrum, fraternal organizations, soldiers, trade unions, customers of banks and insurance agencies, immigrants, and schoolchildren. This illustrated lecture explores how America’s durable fundamental laws have been encountered in ephemeral forms across American history and how those compact constitutions have encouraged “We the People” to understand their governments and define their status as rights-bearing individuals in the most literal way.

Eric Slauter is Deputy Dean of the Humanities and the College at the University of Chicago, where he is an associate professor in the Department of English, an associate faculty member in the Divinity School, and serves as the founding director of the Karla Scherer Center for the Study of American Culture.

This all live event will include a buffet dinner suitable for all diets (vegan and vegetarian) and will conclude with a sweets assortment. Club members: remember to bring your Caxton badge.

Register today.

Transportation to the Union League Club at 65 West Jackson Blvd., Chicago.

The Union League Club is easily accessible through many public transportation methods. Additionally, the following options are available for those who wish to travel by cab or car.

The Union League Club front desk offers a connection to cab service through Curb. The desk will call cabs for members and all guests while allowing riders to remain inside until the cab arrives. No curb side wait. Cabs will accept all payment forms, following the payment procedures you experience with a street-hailed cab.

Spot Hero is an independent parking option, generally offering spots at the 318 S. Federal Street garage adjacent to the Union League Club. You may reserve and pay for a guaranteed parking spot through the Spot Hero app or website (spothero.com).