Constitution Day

September 17 is Constitution Day and Citizenship Day (Constitution Day).  This day commemorates the September 17, 1787 signing of the United States Constitution.

Written in 1787, ratified in 1788, and in operation since 1789, the United States Constitution is the world’s longest surviving written charter of government. Its first three words –– “We the People” –– affirm that the government of the United States exists to serve its citizens. For over two centuries, the Constitution has remained in force because its framers wisely separated and balanced governmental powers to safeguard the interests of majority rule and minority rights, of liberty and equality, and of the federal and state governments. Since 1789, the Constitution has evolved through amendments to meet the changing needs of a nation now profoundly different from the eighteenth-century world in which its creators lived.

To encourage all Americans to learn more about the Constitution, Congress established in 1956, Constitution Week, to begin each year on September 17th, the date in 1787 when delegates to the Convention signed the Constitution.

America’s Founding Documents

From the National Archives website for the U.S. Constitution:

These three documents, known collectively as the Charters of Freedom, have secured the rights of the American people for more than two and a quarter centuries and are considered instrumental to the founding and philosophy of the United States.

Our Government

The 3 BranchesThe Three Branches of Government Infographic

The Executive Branch

The Executive Branch
The White House

The Legislative Branch

The Legislative Branch
School House Rock-I’m Just a Bill

The Judicial Branch

The Judicial Branch

Voting-Your Civic Duty

Learn about Elections & Voting
Registering to Vote
Volunteering & Contributing to the Election Process