What Is It?

It began the week of September 17th, 1787, when delegates of the United States to the Constitutional Convention signed the Constitution and sent it to the states for ratification.

The thirteen states, in the collective wisdom of their citizens, insisted on appending a Bill of Rights to the Constitution.

In 1952, the the Congress of the United States designated September 17th as Citizenship Day, in commemoration of the historic signing of the Constitution on that day.

In 2004, the Congress passed a law that colleges and universities should hold educational programs pertaining to the Constitution, on or near September 17th.

Americans live under the world’s longest-lived written Constitution, in a republic that best meets its ideals of a knowledgeable citizenry and widespread participation in politics. This is a week to remember our shared political heritage and contemplate our present day challenges and our future.