A New Birth of Freedom:: John Bingham and the 14th Amendment

Episode 4: "Ohio v. the 14th Amendment" John Bingham is one of the most important figures in American history to be all but forgotten. He drafted one of the most important Constitutional amendments: the 14th Amendment. Bingham spent decades 8 terms in Congress, prosecuted the Lincoln assassination conspirators and prosecuted the first ever Presidential Impeachment trial in 1868. We live with the rights his Constitutional amendment gave us, yet no one seems to remember his contributions.

We follow the Cadiz, Ohio native's career in politics and law. From his abolitionist roots in Eastern Ohio, to his decades in Washington, DC during the buildup to Civil War and Reconstruction. We sit down with Gerard Magliocca, professor of law at Indiana University and author of 2013 biography, American Founding Son: John Bingham and the Invention of the 14th Amendment. Link below to purchase Gerard's excellent book. We analyze Bingham's central role in Congress during those consequential years of American history and why he fought so hard for his Privileges and Immunity Clause and the Equal Protection/Due Process clause in the 14th Amendment.

We also welcome back Erik Archilla, co-creator, writer and producer of the hit audio drama, 1865, to the show to discuss John Bingham's prosecution of the Booth Conspriators, the Impeachment of President Andrew Johnson and the impact of the 14th Amendment on American history and the rights of US citizens today. John Bingham appears as a character in 1865 and we can't recommend that podcast more if you love Civil War history like we do. Link below to hear the show.

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BUY American Founding Son by Gerard Magliocca HERE. https://www.amazon.com/American-Founding-Son-Invention-Fourteenth/dp/1479819913

LISTEN to Erik's critically-acclaimed audio drama, 1865, HERE. https://wondery.com/shows/1865/

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