Liberty Lifestyle: Constitution Day – America’s Forgotten Birthday

We’re all aware of the importance of July 4 and celebrate it every year. But do you know about America’s forgotten birthday, September 17 – the day when the Constitution was actually signed? The document that has governed this nation for more than two centuries was signed, and an entirely new system of government was born, giving us the liberty and freedom we enjoy today. But it was a battle to accomplish.

Signing Was Only the Beginning

We may have won our independence from England, but we still had a long way to go. After the Revolution, America was governed by the Articles of Confederation. This government was perhaps closer ideologically to what the Founding Fathers really wanted, but it wasn’t strong enough to survive in the age of imperialism or to pay its debts from the war. Congress couldn’t effectively raise money, regulate trade between states, or conduct foreign policy without cooperation from the states. An uprising by Massachusetts farmers in 1786 and 1787, known as Shays’ Rebellion, highlighted just how desperately things needed to change.

In 1787, Congress called a convention in Philadelphia to revise the Articles of Confederation but instead ended up designing an entirely new government. George Washington was chosen to preside over the convention, and for about four months, they argued and negotiated over major issues such as how much power the federal government should have, how states would be represented, and how power should be divided – something politicians are still arguing about today.

In a letter to the Confederation Congress, Washington wrote:

“It is at all times difficult to draw with precision the line between those rights which must be surrendered, and those which may be preserved; and, on the present occasion, the difficulty was increased by a difference among the several States as to their situation, extent, habits, and particular interests…thus, the Constitution which we now present is the result of a spirit of amity, and of that mutual deference and concession, which the peculiarity of our political situation rendered indispensable”

On September 17, 1787, the convention approved the final draft of the Constitution. Of the 42 delegates in attendance, 39 signed it. George Mason, Edmund Randolph, and Elbridge Gerry refused. But even that was not the last step. It still had to be sent to the states for ratification. At least nine of the 13 were required. That sparked national debate as supporters argued for a new government while opponents were concerned about giving the government too much power. That’s when Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, and John Jay took up their quills and ink and defended the Constitution in newspaper essays that became known as The Federalist Papers.

On June 21, 1788, New Hampshire became the ninth state to ratify the Constitution, and the new federal government began operating in 1789 with Washington as the first president. But things still weren’t all rosy and wonderful. The original Constitution didn’t have a Bill of Rights, something to protect individual liberties. So, in 1791, the first ten amendments were adopted, providing fundamental rights and helping to address concerns that the central government might take too much power.

It Wasn’t Always Constitution Day

September 17 wasn’t always recognized as Constitution Day, and it wasn’t just about the governing document. In fact, it’s a celebration of citizenship. It used to be celebrated on the third Sunday in May and was a day to recognize people who received their citizenship. At that time, it was known as “I Am An American Day,” as the Library of Congress detailed.

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In 1952, things changed again. Lawmakers moved the observance to September 17 and called it “Citizenship Day.” Congress encouraged state and local authorities to provide instruction about citizens’ responsibilities and opportunities as citizens.

It wasn’t until 2004 that September 17 officially became both Constitution Day and Citizenship Day. Congress, again, had some directives. Every federal agency must provide employees with educational or training materials about the Constitution on this day. Furthermore, educational institutions that receive federal funds must have programs about the Constitution for their students on September 17. If the date falls on a weekend or holiday, schools can hold the program the preceding or following week.

Fun Facts

The final handwritten Constitution is only four pages long. It, along with the 27 Amendments, totals roughly 7,500 words.

There’s a lot of talk about age limits and requirements for presidents and lawmakers today with Joe Biden and President Donald Trump serving as commanders-in-chief in their 80s. Though he never became president, one of the Founding Fathers, Benjamin Franklin, was 81 years old at the Constitutional Convention.

So, America has two birthdays that tell two different parts of the same story. July 4 celebrates declaring our freedom, while September 17 marks the day Americans built a government to last generations without giving too much of that freedom back.

Dig Deeper Into the Themes Discussed in This Article!

Liberty Vault: The Constitution of the United States