US Constitution
Portrait of John Bingham

John Bingham

Principal framer of the 14th Amendment

Vital Statistics

Born: January 21, 1815

Died: March 19, 1900

Birthplace: Mercer, Pennsylvania

Spouses: 2

Children: 6

Biography

John Bingham was a man driven by a powerful moral compass, a legal craftsman who reforged the Constitution in the fires of the Civil War. As the principal author of the 14th Amendment, he is the 'James Madison' of the Second Founding. He envisioned a nation where the promises of the Bill of Rights were not just for the federal government to obey, but for every state to honor. His work fundamentally reshaped the relationship between the government and the citizen, creating a more just and perfect Union.