Teachable Moment

the What is the reason for Constitution Week?

Constitution Week, the commemoration of America’s most important document, is celebrated annually in the United States during the week of September 17-23. The week begins with Constitution Day, September 17, and honors the thirtynine brave men who envisioned and produced the U.S. Constitution and who signed it on September 17, 1787, eleven years after the signing of the Declaration of Independence in 1776. The United States Constitution is a testament to the tenacity of Americans throughout history to maintain their liberties, freedoms and inalienable rights.

The Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) saw the need to remind citizens that the Constitution is the basis for America’s laws and the foundation for our way of life, to encourage Americans to study their great history, and to inspire them to embrace their responsibilities for protecting and defending the Constitution. So in 1955, the DAR petitioned Congress to set aside September 17-23 each year as Constitution Week. The resolution was adopted by the U.S. Congress and signed into public law on August 2, 1956, by President Dwight D. Eisenhower, but it wasn’t until September 2002 that President George W. Bush declared that Constitution Week would be officially celebrated every year. Every year members of the DAR observe Constitution Week by ringing bells on Constitution Day (September 17); obtaining proclamations from public officials; creating displays in schools, libraries, courthouses, and other public areas; distributing copies of the Constitution, Preamble to the Constitution, and other patriotic literature; and other efforts to educate their community about the Constitution.