Sept. 17, 1787 is one of the most significant days in U.S. history and every year the U.S. celebrates the day known as Constitution Day.
231 years ago, yesterday, Americans recall the development and signing of the U.S. Constitution by thirty-nine men in Philadelphia in Independence Hall. Constitution Day was established by law in 2004.
Every year, Constitution Day is not a holiday most Americans circle in their calendars. When the average American thinks about the day the United States earned its’ freedom, their minds instantly flip forward many months or flip back a couple months to the Fourth of July.
“I think that Constitution Day offers us an opportunity to engage widely in deliberation, debate, and education regarding key clauses of the U.S. Constitution and their meaning for addressing a wide range of contemporary political issues,” said Dr. Teena Gabrielson, a political science professor on why Constitution day is important. “Creating time and space for civic education is critical to maintaining a representative democracy and to ensuring that the will of the majority, the rights of minorities, and the rule of law are respected in our governing practices.”
“First and foremost, the answer is our freedom. It is, quite simply, the most powerful vision of freedom ever expressed,” said Sandra Day O’Connor in The Constitution: The Essential User’s Guide on what makes the constitution important. “It’s also the world’s shortest and oldest national constitution, neither so rigid as to be stifling, nor so malleable as to be devoid of meaning,” according to the National Constitution Center.
The fundamental framework of America’s system of government is found in the Constitution. The Constitution creates a government that puts the power in the hands of the people, checks and balances, describes the duties of government and the limit of their power, the separation of power, federalism and outlines many rights and freedoms of the people.
The Constitution was written when Congress authorized 150 delegates to gather and suggest new changes to the Articles of Confederation, which was the existing charter of government. The Americans of the 13 states argued the Articles had created an unproductive and weak central government. From the beginning of convention, it was clear the men were on the road to a new government.
When the Constitution was written in 1787, no other country in the world had ever allowed its citizens to choose their own form of government and a democratic government was even more rare. The Constitution is one of the most important physical pieces of the U.S. government, and is deserving of more recognition. The Fourth of July may celebrate when America gained their independence, but Constitution Day commemorates the signing of the rights, freedoms and rights that make America, America.
