Albany Law School next month will convene a three-day discussion about the legal implications of the war and reconstruction, ranging from the Fugitive Slave Act and emancipation to the suspension of habeas corpus and the assassination of Abraham Lincoln…

“The Civil War not only changed American politics. It also changed our law,” said Albany law professor Paul Finkelman, co-chairman of the conference. “The modern law of war comes directly from the Civil War. The war also fundamentally altered the Constitution, leading to the abolition of slavery, securing citizenship for African Americans and enfranchising backs on the same basis of whites.”

The war’s effect on American law is something that’s still felt to this day.  This upcoming conference of legal academics promises to be very interesting indeed.

Conference examines Civil Wars influence on law.