September 17, 2008

In 2004, Congress passed a provision declaring September 17 as Constitution Day and Citizenship Day, commemorating the day the Constitution was adopted in 1787. All schools that receive federal funds have been charged to provide educational programming pertaining to the Constitution on or near September 17.

Celebrate Constitution Day by learning more about this founding document of the United States of America. Below are several resources for you to explore.

Read the Notice of Implementation of Constitution Day and Citizenship Day in the Federal Register.

The National Archives Experience

Visit the National Archives Constitution of the United States Web site "Charters of Freedom: A New World is at Hand" - View and download images of the original document Read a transcript of the U.S. Constitution along with short biographies of the signers

Teaching and Related Resources

• The Founder's Constitution (Table of Contents). University of Chicago and the Liberty Fund. Themes, the Constitution, and Bill of Rights and Amendments.
• CQPressInContext Celebrating Constitution Day - provides background information, discussion ideas, lesson plans (2006)
• National Constitution Center - sign the Constitution, obtain lesson plans and tips on planning community and school events, explore the Interactive Constitution
• U.S. Courts Constitution Day Resources - link to Fast Facts, Interactive Games and other classroom activities
• The Bill of Rights Institute Constitution Day Page - find Constitution Day lesson plans for middle school and high school, explore the Founders Gallery
• GPO Access Constitution Main Page - provides links to the Constitution in several formats
• Library of Congress American Memory A Century of Lawmaking for a New Nation: U.S. Congressional Documents and Debates - has journals (daily proceedings), letters, debates, and documentary records. CSU affiliates have electronic access to the American State Papers and U.S. Serial Set via the "Research Databases" page.
• Library of Congress Primary Documents in American History - explore documents from the American Memory Historical Collections, view an image of an early printed broadside annotated in the hand of William Samuel Jackson
• University of Chicago Press and the Liberty Fund The Founders' Constitution - has fundamental documents, commentary about the strengths and weaknesses of the Constitution, and multiple commentaries on specific clauses (select "Contents").

Books Available in Morgan Library

Below is a small sampling of books about the Constitution available in Morgan Library:

• The American Constitution in Context

• The American Polity: Essays on the Theory and Practice of Constitutional Government

• Beyond Confederation: Origins of the Constitution and American National Identity

• Beyond the Constitution

• Bicentennial of the United States Constitution: A Resource Guide

• Constitution of the United States: Published for the Bicentennial of Its Adoption in 1787

• Creating the Constitution: The Convention of 1787 and the First Congress

• Decision in Philadelphia: The Constitutional Convention of 1787

• The Enduring Constitution: An Exploration of the First Two Hundred Years

• Essays on the Making of the Constitution

• Negotiating the Constitution: The Earliest Debates Over Original Intent

• Original Meanings: Politics and Ideas in the Making of the Constitution

Identify additional titles by subject in the library catalog SAGE using the following terms:

• Constitutional History United States
• United States Constitution
• United States Constitution Amendments
• United States Constitutional Convention (1787)
• United States Politics and government 1783-1789

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URL: http://lib.colostate.edu/research/history/ConstitutionDay.html • Modified: 2008-09-09

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