"September 17 is designated as Constitution Day and Citizenship Day to commemorate the signing of the U.S. Constitution in Philadelphia on September 17, 1787. Learn more about the U.S. Constitution through our public programs, family activities, and online resources." National Archives News
The Constitution is the supreme law of the United States. These four large sheets of parchment define the framework and powers of the Federal Government. Written in 1787, the Constitution established an ingenious practical system of government that derives its power from “We the People of the United States” and promotes the welfare of all its citizens.
https://www.govinfo.gov/features/constitution-citizenship-day-2021 Sep 17, 2021 "Commemorating the formation and signing of the U.S. Constitution, and recognizing those who have become U.S. citizens. The signing of the United States Constitution on September 17, 1787, by delegates to the Constitutional Convention established America’s national government and fundamental laws. At the 1787 convention delegates formulated a plan for a stronger government establishing three branches – Legislative, Executive, and Judicial – along with a system of checks and balances ensuring no single branch would have too much power. It wasn’t until 2004 that the holiday took on the full name it bears today. In 2004, a law was enacted renaming the holiday “Constitution Day and Citizenship Day,” (36 U.S.C. 106) requiring public schools and institutions to provide information on the history of the country’s Constitution." GOVInfo
March 4, 1789 is when the United States Constitution became the supreme law of the land.
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2010/09/17/federal-schools-universities-celebrate-constitution-day/# Sep 17, 2010 "Each educational institution that receives Federal funds for a fiscal year shall hold an educational program on the Constitution on Sept. 17 each year."
The signing of the United States Constitution on September 17, 1787, by delegates to the Constitutional Convention established America’s national government and fundamental laws. At the 1787 convention delegates formulated a plan for a stronger government establishing three branches – Legislative, Executive, and Judicial – along with a system of checks and balances ensuring no single branch would have too much power.
It wasn’t until 2004 that the holiday took on the full name it bears today. In 2004, a law was enacted renaming the holiday “Constitution Day and Citizenship Day,” (36 U.S.C. 106) requiring public schools and institutions to provide information on the history of the country’s Constitution. GovInfo
https://www.sdcoe.net/about-sdcoe/news/post/~board/news/post/2022-constitution-day Aug 26, 2022 Americans will celebrate Constitution Day on Sept. 17, the day in 1787 when delegates to the Constitutional Convention signed the document in Philadelphia. SDCOE
https://www.archives.gov/press/press-releases/2012/nr12-161.html Sep 13, 2012 "Washington, DC…As part of the celebration of the document’s 225th anniversary, the National Archives will for the first time exhibit the so-called “Fifth Page” of the Constitution of the United States. It will be on display from Friday, September 14, through Wednesday, September 19, 2012, in the East Rotunda Gallery in the National Archives Building in Washington, DC. Museum hours are 10 a.m. until 5:30 p.m. daily, but the museum will open late at 11:30 a.m. on Monday, September 17 (Constitution Day). The fifth page is also known as the transmittal page of the Constitution and the Resolutions of the Constitutional Convention. This document, signed by George Washington, who presided over the Constitutional Convention, describes how the Constitution was to be ratified and put into effect." National Archives
https://www.govinfo.gov/features/constitution-citizenship-day-2022 September 16, 2022
Commemorating the formation and signing of the U.S. Constitution, and recognizing those who have become U.S. citizens
The signing of the United States Constitution on September 17, 1787, by delegates to the Constitutional Convention established America’s national government and fundamental laws. At the 1787 convention delegates formulated a plan for a stronger government establishing three branches – Legislative, Executive, and Judicial – along with a system of checks and balances ensuring no single branch would have too much power.
It wasn’t until 2004 that the holiday took on the full name it bears today. In 2004, a law was enacted renaming the holiday “Constitution Day and Citizenship Day,” (36 U.S.C. 106) requiring public schools and institutions to provide information on the history of the country’s Constitution.
U.S. Constitution Facts and Figures:
Although written and signed in 1787, it wasn’t until June 21, 1788, that it was ratified by the necessary nine of thirteen states to become binding.
There were 55 delegates to the Constitutional Convention, although only 39 signed the document.
Twelve of the 13 states were represented; Rhode Island did not send delegates to the Convention.
Benjamin Franklin, 81, was the oldest delegate to the Constitutional Convention; Jonathan Dayton, 26, was the youngest.
"The Constitution is the guide which I never will abandon." George Washington
"The sacred rights of mankind are not to be rummaged for, among old parchments, or musty records. They are written, as with a sun beam in the whole volume of human nature, by the hand of the divinity itself; and can never be erased or obscured by mortal power." Alexander Hamilton
At the conclusion of the Constitutional Convention, Benjamin Franklin was asked, “What have you wrought?” He answered, . . . a Republic, if you can keep it."
"The Declaration of Independence was the promise; the Constitution was the fulfillment." Warren Burger
". . . a constitution, intended to endure for ages to come, and consequently, to be adapted to the various crises of human affairs. John Marshall
Answer these questions using The Constitution of the United States.
https://www.archives.gov/founding-docs/constitution-transcript
How many Articles make up the Constitution?
What is the current total number of United States Senators?
How many years makes one term for a United States Representative?
Who is in charge of the executive branch?
What is the minimum age for a person to get elected to the House of Representatives?
What is the minimum age to become President of the United States?
What is the minimum age to become a United States Senator?
What is the introduction to the Constitution called?
How many Sections are in Article I of the Constitution?
All legislative powers granted by the Constitution are vested in a ________ of the ______ ______.
What are the two houses of the Congress of the United States?
Which house of Congress can write bills raising revenue?
Who is the President of the Senate?
What are the three branches that make up the government of the United States?
Which Amendment outlawed slavery in the United States? In what year?
How many States had to ratify the Constitution before it could become the law of the United States?
Which Article makes the Constitution the "supreme law of the land"?
Which Article deals with relations among the States?
Which Article created the Supreme Court?
Which Article created the office of President of the United States?
Which Article created the Legislative branch?
How many Senators are there currently in America?
How many days (Sundays excepted) does the President have to return a bill to Congress?
What are the first ten Amendments of the Constitution called?
What is the current total number of Amendments?
List the five rights protected by Amendment One.
Which Amendment was repealed on December 5, 1933?
On what day, month, and year was the Constitution signed?
Which Amendments expanded suffrage?
Who has the power to create a government?
How does a bill become a law?
While watching "I'm Just a Bill," write a response about how a bill becomes a law.
Include ALL of these terms in the response:
Legislative
Executive
Judicial (not in the cartoon)
Congress
House of Representatives
Senate
U.S. Capitol
White House
President of the United States
veto
committee
bill
law
The Constitution of the United States of America: Analysis and Interpretation, popularly known as the Constitution Annotated, encompasses the U.S. Constitution and analysis and interpretation of the U.S. Constitution with in-text annotations of cases decided by the Supreme Court of the United States.
Visit constitution.congress.gov to access the Library of Congress' regularly updated online version of the Constitution Annotated.
The U.S. Constitution comprises the primary law of the U.S. Federal Government. It describes the three chief branches of the Federal Government and their jurisdictions, and lays out the basic rights of citizens of the United States. The U.S. Constitution is the oldest Federal constitution in existence and was framed by a convention of delegates from twelve of the thirteen original states in Philadelphia in May 1787, Rhode Island failing to send a delegate. The U.S. Constitution is the landmark legal document of the United States.
https://www.kpbs.org/news/2020/jan/27/more-or-less-perfect-union-personal-exploration-ju/ Jan 27, 2020 KPBS article by Jennifer Robinson that provides details about this three-part documentary series that explores the U.S. Constitution.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XpdfML6RFlg Sep 16, 2019 “Congratulations, you are all United States citizens.” With these simple words, a federal judge welcomed new citizens as part of a series of naturalization ceremonies held in recent weeks at professional baseball stadiums across the country. This video captures the momentous occasions with interviews of new citizens about what it means to be an American. “This is my home, and it feels good to say I belong here, that I am a citizen,” said one woman who had just taken the Oath of Allegiance. Since 2015, the federal Judiciary has celebrated the weeks surrounding Constitution Day and Citizenship Day by hosting naturalizations in distinctive settings. This year, federal judges are naturalizing more than 700 citizens at 11 major and minor league ballparks. On Sunday, at the Philadelphia Phillies stadium—just a short distance from where the Constitutional Convention drafted the nation’s founding document—Chief Judge Juan R. Sánchez swore in 15 new citizens at a game attended by more than 39,000 people. Among the candidates was Saurav Upadhyay, 32, a Nepalese immigrant. He lived on just $20 a week when he came to America to go to college. “It was a lot of rice and, sometimes, some soy sauce,” he said. He now does international work for the Society of Friends in Pennsylvania. The video highlights ceremonies at the home fields of the Auburn (New York) Doubledays, Hartford (Connecticut) Yard Goats, Dayton (Ohio) Dragons, and Oklahoma City Dodgers. The immense joy of the newly minted citizens was shared by baseball fans and presiding judges alike. Magistrate Judge Michael Newman, who administered the Oath of Allegiance in Dayton, said a standing ovation from fans was “a recognition of what an important event this is.” Newman added, “It’s exciting to me because, what’s more American than baseball?” Constitution Day and Citizenship Day are officially observed on Sept. 17, the date in 1787 that delegates signed the U.S. Constitution. Watch other educational outreach videos: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL4bcxoLSIaXfI73K3xleGMxG8LrcWsu05 United States Courts
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mLhgYoeMMdw Nov 1, 2020 The first comprehensive recreation of those stirring, heated debates during the sweltering summer of 1787. The film depicts events surrounding creation of the United States Constitution, and is focused mainly on James Madison, who wrote most of that document and took extensive notes during the convention's discussions and proceedings.
https://ca.pbslearningmedia.org/resource/idm-constitution-fulfill-ideals-doi-video-gallery/benjamin-franklin Grades: 6-8, 9-12 Collection: Ken Burns in the Classroom https://ca.pbslearningmedia.org/collection/kenburnsclassroom/home
Film: Benjamin Franklin https://ca.pbslearningmedia.org/collection/kenburnsclassroom/film/benjamin-franklin One of the most iconic lines of the Declaration was edited by Benjamin Franklin. While Thomas Jefferson had written, “we hold these truths to be sacred and undeniable,” Franklin made an extraordinary change to the statement. He wrote “we hold these truths to be self-evident.” https://ca.pbslearningmedia.org/subjects/social-studies PBS Learning Media for California Educators
We’re celebrating Constitution Day! Join the C-SPAN Classroom team for this week's episode as we share C-SPAN resources that teach about the U.S. Constitution, its relevance today, and the public’s knowledge of this founding document. As a reminder, if you would like to connect with our team, please email us anytime at educate@c-span.org. C-Span Classroom Podcast https://sites.google.com/view/c-spanclassroom-featured/podcasts#h.e52z5krv39yz
https://www.c-span.org/classroom/document/?6505 The Constitutional Convention MAY 25, 2017 Rosemarie Zabarri gives an overivew of the Constitutional Convention and debate over the powers of the Federal Government. C-Span Classroom
Constitution Day Videos
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-AHnLQbuNsY May 30, 2018 “In this country, in these United States, under our colors of red, white and blue … all Americans are created free and equal and we will rise or fall based on our merit and the content of our character and not the color of our skin. That is the core organizing principle of the U.S. Army and that is why we fight.” - Gen Mark Milley, Chief of Staff of the Army. Right now across America, the U.S. Army is commissioning the next generation of officers who will make an oath to support and defend the ideals of the US Constitution. Join us by celebrating their service to their service to our country or by sharing a memory from when you were commissioned. The U.S. Army
Commission on Teacher Credentialing
I solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support the Constitution of the United States of America, the Constitution of the State of California, and the laws of the United States and the State of California. I hereby certify (or declare) under penalty of perjury under the laws of the State of California that all the foregoing statements in this application are true and correct.
Oath and Affidavit
James Garritson
August 9, 2023