Constitution Day: Celebration of Nation’s Founders from Sept. 17, 1787
Today, you may not see parades or firework shows, but September 17 is a significant day in the history of the United States of America. It is Constitution Day — a celebration of our nation’s founders signing America’s most popular government document on Sept. 17, 1787. This is considered the 233rd anniversary of our U.S. government.
The text, progressive in its day, formed the three main branches of government — legislative, executive and judicial branches with their checks and balances; divided power between the federal government and the individual states; and provided several guarantees of personal freedoms for U.S. citizens. The Constitution was signed by 39 founding fathers in the Assembly Room of the Independence Hall in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It was the culmination of the work of the Constitutional Convention, which began on 25 May and concluded less than four months later with the signing of the agreement on 17 September.
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“We celebrate the Day of the Constitution not only to commemorate the adoption of the Constitution, but also to remind us that, through civil war, racism and injustice, economic crises and pandemics, the greatest danger to our nation is ignorance and passivity. Every responsible person should take this day to reflect on how far we have come and to reflect on the challenges ahead, “Said Clayton Thyne, chair of the Department of Political Science at the College of Arts and Sciences of the University of Kentucky.
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For several years in the 20th century, Sept. 17 was celebrated as the Citizenship Day and was established to honor all people who were born in the U.S. or who acquired citizenship via naturalization.
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In 2004, through the act of legislation, Congress changed the name to the Constitution and Citizenship Day to reflect the seminal document and its significant role in U.S. history. The legislation also required educational institutions receiving federal funding to celebrate the day.
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“While the Constitution remains the foremost pillar holding our nation together, it is not something to be taken for granted,” Thyne said. “Strong democracies and empires have perished throughout history, and our status in the world is no different. We must not only learn about and understand the Constitution, but also think critically about the current crises and policies that will form our future. As a university, we must not lose sight of this great document that formed our country. However, we must also be ready and willing to fight within its systems to ensure a more ideal union for ourselves and those who will come later.
Katherine McCormick, senior professor at the UK College of Education, also says, “With Election Day just weeks away, we are reminded of the importance of the Constitution and our duties as people. Vote, petition, write your congressional representative, get in contact with your community; let your voice be heard. We are better off when we are engaged. We should celebrate it.
The UK Appalachian Law Caucus is hosting a talk by Kentucky Rep. Chris Harris at noon today at Rosenberg College of Law Room 297, with all Centers for Disease Control and UK safety standards being implemented. Since 2015, Harris has served the 93rd District of the Kentucky House of Representatives, covering Martin County and part of Pike County. He received a degree in accounting from the United Kingdom and a degree in law from Northern Kentucky University.
