Omar Bennett
Constitution Day and Citizenship Day is a federal observance in the United States that commemorates the signing of the US Constitution and recognises those who have become US citizens. While the history of Constitution Day celebrations goes back to at least the early 20th century, the holiday was officially established in 2004 when Senator Robert Byrd added an amendment to the omnibus spending bill. This law designated September 17 as Constitution Day and Citizenship Day, combining two previously separate celebrations.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Date | 17th of September |
| Year it became a holiday | 1952 |
| Name of the holiday at the time | Citizenship Day |
| Date of signing of the Constitution | 17th of September, 1787 |
| Number of men who signed the Constitution | 39 |
| Year Constitution Day and Citizenship Day became a combined event | 2004 |
| Year the holiday was first celebrated | 1911 (in Iowa schools) |
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What You'll Learn
Constitution Day and Citizenship Day
The history of this commemorative day can be traced back to the early 20th century. In 1911, Iowa schools first recognised Constitution Day. Six years later, in 1917, the Sons of the American Revolution formed a committee to promote Constitution Day. This committee included notable figures such as Calvin Coolidge, John D. Rockefeller, and General John Pershing.
In the late 1930s, publisher William Randolph Hearst promoted the idea of a new holiday called "I Am an American Day." This led to Congress designating the third Sunday in May as "I Am an American Day" in 1940. However, it was not until 1952 that President Harry Truman signed a bill renaming the event "Citizenship Day" and moving it to September 17.
In 1956, President Dwight Eisenhower expanded the event by including Constitution Week, observed from September 17 to 23, in his annual proclamation. This week-long celebration has become a significant part of Constitution Day and Citizenship Day, with naturalisation ceremonies and educational programs taking place across the country.
The modern Constitution Day came into being in 2004 when Senator Robert Byrd sponsored legislation designating September 17 as Constitution Day and Citizenship Day. This amendment to the omnibus spending bill of 2004 combined the two events and mandated educational institutions and federal agencies to provide instruction on the Constitution and the rights and responsibilities of citizens.
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Early celebrations
Constitution Day and Citizenship Day are celebrated on September 17 to commemorate the signing of the US Constitution in Philadelphia on September 17, 1787. Early celebrations of Constitution Day date back to the early 20th century, before it became a federally recognized holiday.
The National Security League, a fraternal organization, was one of the first groups to observe Constitution Day and advocated for it to become a national holiday. In 1934, an eighth-grade classroom in Maine started their celebrations with a salute and the Pledge of Allegiance to the flag, followed by a class reading of the Constitution's preamble and a discussion of its amendments.
In the late 1930s, newspaper magnate William Randolph Hearst promoted the idea of a new holiday called "I Am an American Day" after his newspapers covered several local observances. On May 1940, President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed a joint congressional resolution proclaiming the celebration. This later evolved into Citizenship Day when President Harry Truman signed it into law on February 29, 1952.
In 1954, a law passed during the Cold War to promote citizenship was amended in 2004 to include the celebration of Constitution Day. In 1956, President Dwight Eisenhower included Constitution Week, observed from September 17–23, in his annual proclamation.
Today, Constitution Day and Citizenship Day are celebrated together, with schools and federal agencies that receive federal funds mandated to teach the Constitution. Americans commemorate the anniversary of the signing of the Constitution with public programs, family activities, and online resources that promote civic literacy and engagement.
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Efforts to make it a federal holiday
Constitution Day and Citizenship Day is an American federal observance that recognizes the adoption of the United States Constitution and those who have become US citizens. It is observed on September 17, the day in 1787 that delegates to the Constitutional Convention signed the document in Philadelphia.
The efforts to celebrate Constitution Day date back to the early 20th century. In 1911, Iowa schools first recognized Constitution Day. Six years later, in 1917, the Sons of the American Revolution formed a committee to promote Constitution Day. The committee included notable members such as Calvin Coolidge, John D. Rockefeller, and General John Pershing.
In 1939, newspaper magnate William Randolph Hearst advocated for a day to celebrate US Citizenship. This led to the creation of "I Am an American Day" in 1940, which was celebrated on the third Sunday in May. By 1949, governors of all 48 states had issued Constitution Day proclamations.
On February 29, 1952, President Harry Truman signed a bill renaming "I Am an American Day" to "Citizenship Day" and moving the observed date to September 17. This was the same day that many states and local communities observed as Constitution Day. In 1953, the United States Senate passed a resolution designating September 17-23 as Constitution Week, which was signed into law by President Dwight D. Eisenhower.
In 1956, Congress established Constitution Week, which was to begin each year on Citizenship Day, September 17. During the Constitution's bicentennial celebrations in 1987, attempts were made to make it a legal, paid federal holiday, but these efforts failed.
It wasn't until 2004 that Senator Robert Byrd of West Virginia added language to an omnibus bill passed by Congress, establishing the modern Constitution Day. This bill combined Constitution Day and Citizenship Day into a single event, observed on September 17 or an adjacent weekday if the date falls on a weekend. The law also mandated educational institutions and federal agencies that receive federal funds to provide educational programming on the history of the Constitution.
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The National Security League
Constitution Day and Citizenship Day are celebrated on September 17 in the US. The day commemorates the anniversary of the signing of the US Constitution in 1787. The holiday was established in 2004 when Senator Robert Byrd added a Constitution Day clause to a federal spending bill.
- A greatly expanded military based on universal conscription
- The naturalisation and "Americanisation" of immigrants
- Americanism
- Meritocracy
- Government regulation of the economy
- Universal athletic and military training for young men
- Increased defence spending
- A unified national defence agency
- An interstate highway system
- English as the official language
- A unified national budget
The NSL was influential, and many of its ideas became national policy. It drew members from across the political spectrum and had more than 50,000 members in 42 states by 1916. However, it also had critics and lost supporters due to its xenophobic, quasi-fascist, and extremist views. The NSL opposed women's suffrage, claiming it was part of a "wave of effeminacy" threatening the nation. It also tried to eliminate the teaching of foreign languages in schools and worked to oppose progressives and unions, accusing them of being communists. The NSL declined and folded in 1942.
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The 2004 amendment
In 2004, Senator Robert C. Byrd of West Virginia sponsored legislation designating September 17 of each year as Constitution Day. This amendment to a 1954 law passed during the Cold War to promote citizenship mandated the teaching of the Constitution in schools and federal agencies that receive federal funds. It also required that "each educational institution that receives Federal funds for a fiscal year shall hold an educational program on the United States Constitution on September 17 of such year for the students served by the educational institution."
The chief sponsor, Senator Byrd, once said, "Our ideals of freedom, set forth and realized in our Constitution, are our greatest export to the world." He believed that all citizens should know their rights as outlined in the Constitution. He added the Constitution Day clause to his 2004 federal spending bill, and the first Constitution Day celebration was kicked off by Senator Byrd in 2005 with a speech in the historic Caucus Room in the Russell Senate Office Building.
The United States Constitution is a fundamental document that has guided public officials and the people they serve for over two centuries. It has endured through civil war, economic depressions, assassinations, and terrorist attacks. The Constitution Day amendment aims to encourage Americans to learn more about the Constitution and its history, including the debates and arguments that led to its creation and the nature of federal elections under it.
The annual event has examined various topics, including the Senate's constitutional role in the treaty-making process, the adoption of the Bill of Rights in 1791, and the passage of amendments such as the Seventeenth Amendment providing for the direct election of US senators in 1913 and the Nineteenth Amendment granting female suffrage in 1920. Constitution Day has also provided an opportunity to explore how the Constitution has shaped the Senate and its constitutional duties.
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Frequently asked questions
Constitution Day became a holiday in 2004 when Senator Robert Byrd added the Constitution Day clause to his federal spending bill.
Constitution Day is an American federal observance that recognizes the adoption of the United States Constitution and those who have become U.S. citizens.
Constitution Day is celebrated on September 17, the day in 1787 that delegates to the Constitutional Convention signed the document in Philadelphia.
