Bushrod Washington served on the United States Supreme Court for over thirty years. As George Washington's nephew, he lived at Mount Vernon, though Philadelphia was his second home. He studied law in Philadelphia during the 1780s and stayed in the city for a few months each year from 1800 until 1829, conducting trials and hearing appeals. During those visits Washington forged deep friendships with Philadelphia’s leading figures, including Elizabeth Powel, who was one of the most politically active women of her time. Join this webinar to hear about Washington's noteworthy life and about a trial over which he presided: United States v. Bright. This case sharply divided Philadelphia and threatened to shake the Constitutional foundations of the Union long before the Civil War.

Speaker's Bio:

Gerard N. Magliocca is the Samuel R. Rosen Professor at the Indiana University Robert H. McKinney School of Law. Washington’s Heir: The Life of Justice Bushrod Washington is his fifth book on constitutional history.