Our Secret Constitution: How Lincoln Redefined American Democracy - Hardcover

"In his typically provocative style, George Fletcher brilliantly evokes the true lessons of the Second American Revolution--the Civil War, the Gettysburg Address, and the post-bellum commitment to equality. No one who cares about racial justice, constitutional justice, or American history can afford to miss this beautifully written and persuasive revision of our traditional understanding of the Constitution."--Alan M. Dershowitz, Harvard Law School"This brilliant essay confronts our constitutional legacy, and vividly reveals the challenges involved in redeeming its promises for a new generation."--Bruce Ackerman, author of We the People"A provocative meditation on the Constitution that emerged from the redemptive experience of the Civil War.... His discussions of voting rights, education, affirmative action, victims' rights, and the constitutional grounding of a positive government are insightful and thought-provoking."--Mark Tushnet, Georgetown University Law Center"With subtlety and coherence, Fletcher presents a lively critique of constitutional law."--Publishers Weekly "In his typically provocative style, George Fletcher brilliantly evokes the true lessons of the Second American Revolution--the Civil War, the Gettysburg Address, and the post-bellum commitment to equality. No one who cares about racial justice, constitutional justice, or American history can afford to miss this beautifully written and persuasive revision of our traditional understanding of the Constitution."--Alan M. Dershowitz, Harvard Law School "This brilliant essay confronts our constitutional legacy, and vividly reveals the challenges involved in redeeming its promises for a new generation."--Bruce Ackerman, author of We the People "A provocative meditation on the Constitution that emerged from the redemptive experience of the Civil War.... His discussions of voting rights, education, affirmative action, victims' rights, and the constitutional grounding of a positive government are insightful and thought-provoking."--Mark Tushnet, Georgetown University Law Center "With subtlety and coherence, Fletcher presents a lively critique of constitutional law."--Publishers Weekly "In his typically provocative style, George Fletcher brilliantly evokes the true lessons of the Second American Revolution--the Civil War, the Gettysburg Address, and the post-bellum commitment to equality. No one who cares about racial justice, constitutional justice, or American history can afford to miss this beautifully written and persuasive revision of our traditional understanding of the Constitution."--Alan M. Dershowitz, Harvard Law School "This brilliant essay confronts our constitutional legacy, and vividly reveals the challenges involved in redeeming its promises for a new generation."--Bruce Ackerman, author of We the People "A provocative meditation on the Constitution that emerged from the redemptive experience of the Civil War.... His discussions of voting rights, education, affirmative action, victims' rights, and the constitutional grounding of a positive government are insightful and thought-provoking."--Mark Tushnet, Georgetown University Law Center "With subtlety and coherence, Fletcher presents a lively critique of constitutional law."--Publishers Weekly "In his typically provocative style, George Fletcher brilliantly evokes the true lessons of the Second American Revolution--the Civil War, the Gettysburg Address, and the post-bellum commitment to equality. No one who cares about racial justice, constitutional justice, or American history can affordto miss this beautifully written and persuasive revision of our traditional understanding of the Constitution."--Alan M. Dershowitz, Harvard Law School"This brilliant essay confronts our constitutional legacy, and vividly reveals the challenges involved in redeeming its promises for a new generation."--Bruce Ackerman, author of We the People"A provocative meditation on the Constitution that emerged from the redemptive experience of the Civil War.... His discussions of voting rights, education, affirmative action, victims' rights, and the constitutional grounding of a positive government are insightful and thought-provoking."--MarkTushnet, Georgetown University Law Center"With subtlety and coherence, Fletcher presents a lively critique of constitutional law."--Publishers Weekly

George P. Fletcher is the Cardozo Professor of Jurisprudence at Columbia University School of Law. His books include A Crime of Self-Defense: Bernhard Goetz and the Law on Trial and With Justice for Some: Victim's Rights in Criminal Trials. He lives in New York City.