Constitution Day, formerly known as Citizenship Day, commemorates the formation and signing of the US Constitution by thirty-nine brave men in Philadelphia on September 17, 1787, and also recognizes all who by birth or naturalization have become citizens of the United States.
The Constitution of the United States of America:
Do you know the contents of this modest, four-page document upon which our federal government is based? Are you familiar with its legacy and its idealistic vision of an active, engaged citizenry? Unfortunately, unless you’ve recently taken a citizenship exam, most people know very little about our Constitution.
In honor of Constitution Day, take a few minutes to visit some of the websites devoted to this historic document and view additional resources from our Library. Take a quiz to see how much you actually know. Order a pocket version of the Constitution for your personal library or download an app for your mobile device. Go to www.constitutionfacts.com or constitutioncenter.org.
This year, celebrate Constitution Day by becoming a better informed and actively engaged citizen of your city, state, and country. Vote, volunteer, participate—and begin by reading the four-page document that is the basis of our democratic system of government.
“I consider the difference between a system founded on the legislatures only, and one founded on the people, to be the difference between a league or treaty and a constitution.” --James Madison, at the Constitutional Convention, 1787