Community Calendar

Two-hundred and fifty years ago, America famously proclaimed that “all men are created equal.” That same year, Pennsylvanians led by Benjamin Franklin declared that “all men are born equally free and independent.” This year, Americans are once again discussing issues of creational equality and birth equality—this time in the context of a great debate over the meaning of birthright citizenship. How will the Supreme Court decide this issue? How should it decide? What would Lincoln have thought about the current debate? Yale Law School Professor Akhil Reed Amar will examine these and related questions through the lens of his recent book, Born Equal: Remaking America's Constitution, 1840–1920.

Join panelists Dr. Tia Culley, Dr. Robert M. Hendershot, and Dr. Steve Marsh and moderator Joel Westphal for a behind-the-scenes discussion about turning their upcoming book, The Ford Administration and Anglo-American Relations: Re-valuing an Interim Presidency into an original museum exhibit.

Queen Elizabeth II met with President Ford at the White House – not to mention with four of his predecessors and eight of his successors. Indeed, she met with more U.S. presidents than any other person in history. What did she do with that unprecedented access? Quite a bit, journalist Susan Page discovered in her new book, being published at the 100th anniversary of Elizabeth’s birth. Her Majesty was more than a stoic figure in a colorful hat, waving from a balcony. She was a deft diplomat, a shrewd judge of character and, by the way, a skilled mimic. She was also the most effective force maintaining Great Britain’s voice in the world even as its empire declined. A look at how she did that during her long reign, and at her sunny encounter with Jerry and Betty Ford during the Bicentennial celebration.

The University of Michigan’s campus has a long and deep history and every generation has cherished particular places, such as the campus zoo or the famous “Sleepy Hollow.” Many of these locations are now gone, but not forgotten. Join us to hear from Professor Jim Tobin as he traces U-M’s “lost campus” and how the campus’ changing spaces reflect broader patterns in university history.