One of the most bitter aspects of the original U.S. Constitution was its protection for slavery. Some of the most profound and creative political moments in US history have centered on confronting that wrong. This course examines the struggle to transform the Constitution’s meanings on slavery during the antebellum (pre-Civil War) period. Who were the antislavery activists, those who, against overwhelming odds, successfully changed the Constitution’s meanings? What connected them, and what set them apart? What did “antislavery” mean to them, and to what extent did the varieties of antislavery advance black liberation versus new expressions of white supremacy? What does their politics suggest about governance, meaning-making, and political change in relationship to a constitutional text? Evaluation will be based on participation, short essays, and individual & group projects involving digital or physical archives.