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Akhil Reed Amar wins Lincoln Institute book prize
The Indian-origin Yale professor was honored for constitutional history work examining post-Civil War amendments and equality.
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Pranavi Sharma - Tue, 31, Mar 2026
- 04:25 EDT
- 22
Akhil Reed Amar / Yale
Akhil Reed Amar’s ‘Born Equal’ received the 2026 Abraham Lincoln Institute Book Award. Amar, an Indian-origin Sterling Professor of Law and Political Science at Yale University, is the son of physicians from India who met at the University of Michigan. He was honored March 21 at the 29th annual symposium of the Abraham Lincoln Institute at Ford’s Theatre in Washington, D.C.
Amar accepted the award and participated in a panel discussion titled, “Lincoln and the Declaration’s Promise of Equality.” The panel included Lucas Morel of Washington and Lee University. Jeffrey Rosen moderated the discussion.
The book, ‘Born Equal: Remaking America’s Constitution, 1840–1920,’ is the second volume in a planned trilogy. It examines the adoption of key constitutional amendments following the Civil War, including the 13th Amendment abolishing slavery, the 14th Amendment establishing birthright citizenship, and the 15th Amendment addressing political rights for Black Americans.
ALSO READ: Akhil Reed Amar traces America’s path to equality in new book
Amar teaches constitutional law at Yale College and Yale Law School. He graduated from Yale College in 1980 and Yale Law School in 1984. He clerked for Stephen Breyer. He joined the Yale faculty in 1985 at age 26. He is the only living Yale professor to receive the Sterling Chair for scholarship, the DeVane Medal for teaching, and the Lamar Award for alumni service.
He has written more than 100 law review articles and several books, including ‘The Bill of Rights’ (1998), ‘America’s Constitution’ (2005), ‘America’s Unwritten Constitution’ (2012), and ‘The Constitution Today’ (2016). The first volume of his trilogy, ‘The Words That Made Us: America’s Constitutional Conversation, 1760–1840,’ was published in May 2021.
Amar is a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. He has written for The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal, Time, and The Atlantic.
The Abraham Lincoln Institute provides public education on the life and legacy of Abraham Lincoln. The annual symposium includes discussions on his work and its continued relevance. This year’s symposium marked the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence. It examined the document’s history and significance and Lincoln’s relationship to it.
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