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.
On Monday, September 17, 1787, 39 of the 55 delegates to the Constitutional Convention signed the Constitution of the United States signifying the Convention had approved the framework for a new government. This approval authorized each state to consider ratifying the Constitution. Nine states - two-thirds of the original 13 states - had to ratify the document before a new government could begin operations. A sufficient number of states had ratified the document by June 1788 and the new government was established on March 4, 1789.
Constitution and Citizenship Day is a federal observance commemorating our nation's governmental structure, the rights and guarantees of citizenship, and the responsibilities which accompany those rights. We observe Constitution and Citizenship Day at Helena College in the Library Learning Hub each September 17 by encouraging everyone to read the Constitution. Then, visit the Library to test your Constitutional knowledge, pick up a free pocket Constitution, and check out a book to learn more. See you at the Library.
An overview of the Constitution and its relationship to the other founding documents: the Declaration of Independence and the Bill of Rights.
An annotation of the Constitution providing interpretations of specific provisions and how they have affected the implementation of the document throughout the history of the United States.
The National Constitution Center
A museum dedicated to promoting awareness of and discussion about the Constitution and how it secures the rights and freedoms for citizens of the United States.
Bodenhamer, D. J. (2018). The U.S. Constitution : a very short introduction. New York, NY: Oxford University Press. p 11, 18.
