Then and Now: James Madison, the First Amendment, and the Enduring American Conversation

September 15th at 7:00 PM EST

What did James Madison envision for the First Amendment, and how does that vision help us better understand it today? Join Colonial Williamsburg's Bob & Marion Wilson Teacher Institute and Freedom Forum for a one-of-a-kind conversation that brings the nation's founding into dialogue with the present. Through a live discussion between Colonial Williamsburg's Nation Builder James Madison and Freedom Forum's Vice President and First Amendment Expert Kevin Goldberg, participants will explore the ideas that shaped the First Amendment, how those ideas were understood during the Revolutionary era, and how they are understood today.

Representing Freedom Forum, an organization dedicated to fostering First Amendment freedoms for all, Goldberg will help connect the history behind the First Amendment to the questions, conversations and challenges Americans encounter today. Together, Madison and Goldberg will examine where modern interpretations align with the founders' vision, where they have evolved in unexpected ways, and what those developments reveal about the enduring role of the First Amendment in a free society. 

This special program goes beyond a traditional history lecture. Madison and Goldberg will compare founding principles with modern interpretations, consider where the First Amendment has evolved in unexpected ways, and debate which developments Madison might celebrate or question. Whether you teach the founding era, civics, or constitutional history, you'll leave with fresh historical perspectives and classroom-ready insights into one of America’s most important constitutional freedoms.

Participants will receive 1.5 professional development hours for attending this session. For more information, please contact teacherdevelopment@cwf.org. Please complete the form below to register for this online program. After you submit this form, you will receive a confirmation email with the Zoom information. A reminder email with the Zoom information will also be sent closer to the program date. Demographic and teaching experience information is being collected as part of our grant and donor funding reporting.

If the form above is not visible, click here to register.