On the eve of its 150th birthday, specimen pages of the original 1874 Constitution will travel to communities across the state during the Arkansas State Archives’ Constitution Road Trip in September and October 2024. The exhibit will let visitors come face to face with handwritten pages of the foundation of Arkansas’s legal and governmental system and learn more about Arkansas’s five constitutions.
The exhibit will be on display at the Old State House Museum in Little Rock on Friday, October 11 from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Saturday, October 12, 2024 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. The Constitution’s tour will conclude with “The Arkansas Constitution at 150” symposium at the Old State House in Little Rock on October 12 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. (registration required). The symposium will bring together historians, political figures and law experts to discuss the history of the Arkansas Constitution and efforts in the 20th century to update the constitution.
Presenters include Dr. Patrick Williams, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville: Answering the Questions of Reconstruction, 1864-1874; Dr. Rodney Harris, Williams Baptist University, The Convention and the Constitution of 1874; Dr. David Ware, State Historian, Arkansas State Archives: William Fishback and the First (Arkansas) Amendment; Christian Harris, Arkansas Attorney General's office and John Adams, attorney (Fuqua Campbell, P.A.): Deciphering the Arkansas Constitution; and Dr. David Ware and Hon. John Gill, attorney (Gill Ragon Owen P.A.): Attempts for a New Constitution in the 20th Century.
Registration is required; the $15 fee includes a boxed lunch, refreshments, and beverages. Continuing Education credits are available for attorneys and teachers; registration for credits will be taken at the event. The symposium is sponsored in part by the Arkansas State House Society.
Five institutions in the four corners and the heart of the state will host the Constitution Road Trip in September and October: Powhatan Historic State Park, Historic Washington State Park, the Shiloh Museum of Ozark History in Springdale, the Delta Cultural Center in Helena and the Old State House Museum in Little Rock.
For questions about this event at the Old State House Museum, call 501-324-9685 or email [email protected]. To learn more about the Arkansas State Archives’ Constitution Road Trip, visit https://www.arkansasheritage.com/learn/commemorative-programs/arkansas-constitution-150th-anniversary
Symposium Time: Saturday, October 12, 10 a.m.-3 p.m.
Constitution Exhibit Hours:
9 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Friday, October 11
9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday, October, 12
Admission: Free to see exhibit
Symposium Registration: $15
Address: 300 W. Markham, Little Rock, AR 72201
Phone: 501-324-9685
Professional Credit Hours: 3.75 CE credit for teachers AND CLE for lawyers.
REGISTER TODAY