Celebrate Constitution Week

On September 17, the United States will celebrate an important anniversary. On that date in 1787, 39 delegates to the Constitutional Convention added their signature to a document that would become the “supreme law of the land”—the U.S. Constitution. James Wilson, a delegate from Philadelphia, proudly stated that “it is the best form of government which has ever been offered to the world.”

To honor the importance of the signing of the Constitution, President George W. Bush created Constitution Week in 2002. His declaration established September 17 as Citizenship Day and the week of September 17-23 as Constitution Week. His hope that people across the country would organize ceremonies to honor the Constitution and celebrate American citizenship.

The Constitution of the United States is a complex document that has guided this nation for over 200 years. Scholars have spent their lives interpreting it and tracking its changes. To help you better understand this most important document, click on this link to the Interactive Constitution provided by the National Constitution Center. It will help you view the full text or break down your study into the document’s different parts.