The Bonnie and Richard Reiss Graduate Institute for Constitutional History (ICH) is a leading national forum for interdisciplinary study of American constitutional history. The Institute offers advanced seminars, as well as workshops devoted to improving the teaching of constitutional history. These are designed for doctoral students, junior faculty members, lawyers, and educators from around the world. Offered free of charge, the seminars and workshops are open to qualified candidates by application only.

Syllabi

Three English Revolutions
Stanford, CA Seminar
Professors Eric Nelson and Michael McConnell
July 7-12, 2019
Click here for a PDF of the Syllabus

Antislavery Constitutionalism 
NYC Seminar
Professors James Oakes and Sean Wilentz
February 14 - March 28, 2019
Click here for a PDF of the Syllabus

Giving

Over the past twenty-five years, American constitutional history has been de-emphasized in favor of "trendier" subjects at the nation's universities and colleges. As historian Gordon Wood has noted, "most universities have long since given up teaching undergraduate courses in American constitutional history, and most of those few remaining professors who do teach it are retiring and not being replaced with constitutional scholars” (New York Review of Books, February 23, 2006).

Staff

Alexander Kassl
Deputy Director of Public Programs
New-York Historical Society
ich@nyhistory.org

Advisor

Please check back for more information.

Programs

The Bonnie and Richard Reiss Graduate Institute for Constitutional History currently offers a variety of programs that enhance the teaching of Constitutional Studies and encourage scholars to increase their involvement in the field:

Past Events

America’s Unregulated Police (Virtual Seminar)
Fridays, March 5 and 19, April 9 and 16, 2021 | 2–5 pm ET

Upcoming Events

New-York Historical Society
The Bonnie and Richard Reiss Graduate Institute for Constitutional History Seminar

Presented in person at the New-York Historical Society

The Bonnie and Richard Reiss Graduate Institute for Constitutional History is pleased to announce its fall 2021 seminar for advanced graduate students and junior faculty:

Constitutions in Conflict: Proslavery versus Antislavery