What is Constitution Day?
President George W. Bush signed a bill on December 8th, 2004 (public law 108-447) which designates every September 17th as Constitution Day.
The U.S. Constitution was signed by thirty-nine brave men who changed the course of history and Constitution Day is now a time for us to continue their legacy and develop habits of citizenship in a new generation of Americans.
Preamble to the United States Constitution
"We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America."
Some Fun Facts about the Constitution...
- Of the spelling errors in the Constitution, “Pensylvania” above the signers' names is probably the most glaring
- Thomas Jefferson did not sign the Constitution. He was in France during the Convention, where he served as the U.S. minister. John Adams was serving as the U.S. minister to Great Britain during the Constitutional Convention and did not attend either.
- The oldest person to sign the Constitution was Benjamin Franklin (81). The youngest was Jonathan Dayton of New Jersey (26).Because of his poor health, Benjamin Franklin needed help to sign the Constitution. As he did so, tears streamed down his face.
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