Examine the past—and potential future—of the U.S. Constitution with the beloved American historian. Pre-order your copy of We the People and get your free ticket now!

The United States Constitution is one of the oldest in the world, and it is also one of the most difficult to amend. On the eve of the 250th anniversary of the nation’s founding, Jill Lepore’s We the People reexamines this foundational text not as a static artifact but as a living document shaped—and too often stalled—by the will of the people. Drawing on research from the Amendments Project—a searchable archive of all the proposed amendments to the Constitution from 1789 to the present—Lepore traces more than two centuries of attempts, mostly by ordinary Americans, to amend a document designed both to resist change and to permit it through peaceful, democratic means.

Lepore and legal scholar Jamal Greene examine how the amendment process lies at the heart of American constitutionalism—and how the public and lawmakers might take it up once again.

Pre-order your copy of the book! Tickets labeled "In-Person (with book)" include a copy of We the People that you'll receive upon entry.

To join the event in person | Doors will open 45 minutes before the program begins. For LIVE from NYPL events, we generally overbook to ensure a full house. Please arrive early to avoid disappointment; we will do our best to accommodate everyone. Booked seats that have not been claimed will be released shortly before start time, and seats may become available then. A standby line will form 45 minutes before the program.

To join the livestream | Want a copy of We the People? Order your book at the Library Shop—proceeds benefit The New York Public Library.

A livestream of this event will be available on the NYPL event page. To receive an email reminder shortly in advance of the event, please be sure to register! If you encounter any issues, please join us on NYPL's YouTube channel.

Copies of We the People will also be available for purchase from the Library Shop the evening of the event. All books purchased in the bundle should be picked up the evening of the event. If you are unable to pick up your book the evening of the event, you must pick up your book at the NYPL Shop within 14 days. Any unclaimed books will be donated to the Library.

ABOUT THE SPEAKERS

Jill Lepore is the David Woods Kemper ’41 Professor of American History at Harvard University and professor of law at Harvard Law School. She is also a staff writer at The New Yorker. Her many books include the international bestseller These Truths: A History of the United States. She lives in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

Jamal Greene is a constitutional law expert whose scholarship focuses on the structure of legal and constitutional argument. He teaches constitutional law, comparative constitutional law, the law of the political process, First Amendment, and federal courts. From January 2023 to December 2024, Greene served as a deputy assistant attorney general in the Office of Legal Counsel in the U.S. Department of Justice. Greene is the author of the book How Rights Went Wrong: Why Our Obsession With Rights Is Tearing America Apart (HMH, March 2021). He is also the author of numerous law review articles and has written in-depth about the Supreme Court, constitutional rights adjudication, and the constitutional theory of originalism.

READ THE BOOK:

• Borrow: NYPL Catalog

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ACCESSIBILITY

In-Person | Assistive listening devices and/or hearing loops are available at the venue. You can request a free ASL (American Sign Language) interpretation or CART (Communication Access Real-Time Translation) captioning service by emailing your request at least two weeks in advance of the event: email accessibility@nypl.org or use this Gmail template. This venue is fully accessible to wheelchairs. 

Livestream | Captions and a transcript will be provided. Media used over the course of the conversation will be accompanied by alt text and/or audio description. You can request a free ASL (American Sign Language) interpretation by emailing your request at least two weeks in advance of the event: email accessibility@nypl.org or use this Gmail template.

CONNECT

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LIVE from NYPL is made possible by the continuing generosity of Celeste Bartos, Mahnaz Ispahani Bartos and Adam Bartos, the Margaret and Herman Sokol Public Education Endowment Fund, and the support of Library patrons and friends.

Jill Lepore © Stephanie Mitchell
Courtesy Jamal Greene