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United States Constitution:: Constitution Day Sept.17th

National Archives - Celebrating Constitution Day

September 17th: designated as Constitution Day and Citizenship Day to commemorate the signing of the U.S. Constitution in Philadelphia on September 17, 1787.

George Washington is about to receive the draft of the Constitution from James Madison in this mural by Barry Faulkner in the National Archives Building in Washington, DC

Caption: George Washington is about to receive the draft of the Constitution from James Madison in this mural by Barry Faulkner in the National Archives Building in Washington, DC (National Archives)

Explore the National Archives  - Archives.gov website: Celebrating Constitution Day

Quill and Ink jarWant to Virtually Sign the Declaration of Independence or the U.S. Constitution?

The Constitution (Videos)

We the People

We the People

The Preamble to the Constitution is the mission statement of the United States government. In just one sentence, the Preamble expresses the source of the Constitution’s power and summarizes its goals.

(2:28) Video 1 of the 35-part "The Constitution EXPLAINED" series created by iCivics and the Center for Civic Education

 

Constitutional Convention

Constitutional Convention

The Constitution was created by a convention that met in Philadelphia in May 1787 to amend the Articles of Confederation, the nation’s first constitution.

(2:51) Video 2 of the 35-part "The Constitution EXPLAINED" series created by iCivics and the Center for Civic Education

 

Foundations of the Constitution

Foundations of the Constitution

The structure of the Constitution is built on three key principles: federalism, separation of powers, and checks and balances.

(2:10) Video 3 of the 35-part "The Constitution EXPLAINED" series created by iCivics and the Center for Civic Education

The Constitution (Videos) PragerU

The U.S. Constitution Marathon | 5-Minute Videos

The Constitution of the United States has endured for almost two and a half centuries, enabling America to enjoy unparalleled freedom and prosperity. In this 10-part 5-Minute Video series, renowned constitutional scholars explore the origin, the philosophy, and the nuts and bolts of this extraordinary document. (53:48)

 

The Constitution: Why A Republic? | 5 Minute Video

Winning the War of Independence brought a new challenge to the American people: what sort of government should they choose for their new nation? Robert George, Professor of Jurisprudence at Princeton University, explores the problems the founders faced at this pivotal moment in history. (5:52)

 

The Difference Between a Democracy and a Republic | 5 Minute Video

If you ask Americans to name their country’s form of government, most of them will say they live in a democracy. However, the real answer is more complicated (and unexpected) than that. Robert George, Professor of Jurisprudence at Princeton University, explains. (5:54)

 

The Constitution: A Moral Challenge | 5-Minute Videos

Unlike any governing document in history, the U.S. Constitution inscribed liberty and individual rights into law. But how could America espouse freedom at its founding and also permit slavery? Robert George, Professor of Jurisprudence at Princeton University, examines this moral conundrum. (5:53)

 

The Constitution: Our Bill of Rights | 5-Minute Videos

Did you know that freedom of speech, freedom of religion, and the right to bear arms were not in the original Constitution, drafted in Philadelphia in the summer of 1787? So where did they come from? Sherif Girgis, associate professor of law at the University of Notre Dame, has the answer. (2:00)

 

Constitution Day (Sept. 17th, 1787)

NATIONAL CONSTITUTION CENTER The United States Constitution

Beginning with the words “We the People,” the U.S. Constitution is composed of the Preamble, seven articles, and 27 amendments. The first 10 amendments are known as the Bill of Rights. Learn about the text, history, and meaning of the U.S. Constitution from leading scholars of diverse legal and philosophical perspectives.

*Content adapted from the ConstitutionCenter.org website.

Walkthrough of the U.S. Constitution (Part of Constitution 101)

NATIONAL CONSTITUTION CENTER The United States Constitution 101

The Constitution 101 course provides learners of all ages with a basic understanding of the Constitution’s text, history, structure, and case law. Drawing on primary source documents, learners will study the historical and philosophical foundations of America’s founding principles from a range of diverse voices. Participants will also learn how to think like constitutional lawyers—cultivating the skills necessary to analyze constitutional questions. Each module includes primary source readings, landmark Supreme Court cases, and Interactive Constitution essays. This course is entirely self-paced, so you can complete it on your schedule.

*Content adapted from the ConstitutionCenter.org website.

NATIONAL CONSTITUTION CENTER The Founders' Library

The National Constitution Center’s Founders’ Library includes primary texts that span American history—from the philosophical works that influenced the Founding generation to the most important speeches, essays, books, pamphlets, petitions, letters, court cases, landmark statutes, and state constitutions that have shaped the American constitutional tradition. To ensure nonpartisan rigor and ideological diversity, we assembled a group of leading scholars from diverse perspectives to help choose the primary texts included in the Founders’ Library. We’ve also included sources curated by the National Constitution Center team.

*Content adapted from the ConstitutionCenter.org website.

Constitution Day and Citizenship Day

Background

The United States Congress and the President have enacted a provision of law requiring every educational institution receiving federal funds to “hold an educational program” on September 17 of each year in observance of “Constitution Day and Citizenship Day.”1

  • “Educational institution” is a broad term that includes preschools; elementary, middle, and high schools; and institutions of higher education.
  • The requirement applies to all public educational institutions in California.2
  • The requirement also applies to any private educational institution that receives federal funds.
  • Private educational institutions that do not receive federal funds are nonetheless encouraged to conduct an observance.
  • When September 17 falls on a Saturday, Sunday, or holiday – as is the case in 2005 and again in 2006 – the observance may be held at any time during the preceding or following week. Each educational institution may individually select the specific date.3
  • The specific nature of the “educational program” is left to the discretion of each educational institution.4
  • The observance is to commemorate the signing of the U.S. Constitution on September 17, 1787
  • 1 Section 111 of Division J of Public Law 108-447, the “Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2005,” December 8, 2004; 118 Stat. 2809, 3344-45 (Section 111).
  • 2 Technically, the observance requirement does not apply to a public educational institution that receives no federal funds. However, to the best of our knowledge, every public educational institution in California does receive federal funds of some type.
  • 3 When September 17 lands on a Saturday, Sunday, or holiday, a local governing body, such as a school district’s board of education, may select an appropriate date for observance that will apply to all of schools under its jurisdiction.
  • 4 Here, too, a local governing body may set criteria or guidelines for the educational program that apply to the schools under its jurisdiction.

Non-Binding Recommendations

To assist educational institutions in complying with the requirement to observe “Constitution Day and Citizenship Day,” the California Department of Education (CDE) offers the following non-binding recommendations:

  • The opportunity created by the educational program should be used to deepen students’ understanding of the U.S. Constitution and the responsibilities of citizenship.
  • As many students as possible should participate in the educational program, recognizing that practical limitations may preclude some students from participating.
  • The educational program should be aligned with and reinforce California’s History-Social Science Content Standards. (Please see the Constitution Day and Citizenship Day Resources page.)
  • The educational program may be integrated within the day’s normal instructional activities.
  • Faculty in appropriate courses (e.g., history-social science and English-language arts) may point out the significance of the day and incorporate a related lesson, discussion, or assignment.
  • There is no need to incorporate references to the U.S. Constitution and responsibilities of citizenship in every class. A “force fit” of such references in classes where they are out of context is unnecessary.
  • The educational program may be in the form of an assembly or other gathering (or perhaps multiple gatherings) of students. If an educational institution’s decision is to approach the educational program in this way, the CDE provides the following recommendations:
    • The assembly or gathering should be coordinated, as appropriate, with subjects or themes that are being studied by some or perhaps all of the students.
    • The assembly or gathering should take advantage, as appropriate, of students’ efforts and talents.
    • The information presented is accurate, recognizing, for example, that some complex concepts may be simplified for age-appropriateness and that respected literary works may take dramatic license with historical events or characters.
    • There should be some accountability for the time spent in the assembly or gathering, perhaps through follow-up discussion, homework, or assessment.
  • A significant amount of money need not be expended to prepare or implement the educational program. In fact, the federal law specifically does not authorize funds to carry out the observance requirement. Moreover, instructional materials and other resources useful in learning about the U.S. Constitution and the responsibilities of citizenship generally are plentiful at virtually every educational institution.
  • In future years, appropriate advisory groups should be consulted in developing the educational program, such as advisory groups composed of teachers, administrators, support personnel, parents and guardians, and/or students.
  • Maintaining some record (even if informal) of each year’s observance may be advisable, even though there is no specific requirement to do so.
  • Because of the particular timeframe for this observance, consideration should be given to incorporating in the educational program, as appropriate, references to the California Constitution (originally developed and adopted during September-November 1849) and California’s admission to the Union (September 9, 1850).

Resources

If an educational institution (or individual teachers) would like assistance in identifying possible speakers (or resource persons) from the community who are knowledgeable about the U.S. Constitution and the responsibilities of citizenship, they may wish to contact the local bar association or the county court administration.

The U.S. Department of Education has identified some educational resources pertaining to the U.S. Constitution and the responsibilities of citizenship:

There are numerous references to the U.S. Constitution, the California Constitution, and the responsibilities of citizenship in the History-Social Science Content Standards for California Public Schools and the History-Social Science Framework for California Public Schools, both of which are available at:

The following Web pages from the CDE Web site may be of assistance in developing local educational programs:

Finally, the following Web sites may have useful information:

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