Constitution Day: A True American Holiday
Posted by G PALMER
The Sun rose on September 17, 1787 like any other Monday had throughout history. However on this day a most memorable event took place, the signing of the United States Constitution. In total fifty-five delegates attended the convention, but given particular circumstances only thirty-nine delegates actually signed the document. This document would forevermore change the course of history & would ultimately set the highest example for any other democratic nation to follow. Contrary to popular belief the consent and approval among all the delegates present was far from unanimous; in every sense of the word. One particular example of negative feedback was that of Alexander Hamilton who called the final draft of the Constitution a “weak and worthless fabric” due to its watered down content and many compromises/revisions. Many delegates hoped it would endure at least a generation, however to their would be astonishment this fantastic piece of brilliant ideological work has endured multiple generations as well as centuries with few revisions made since.
As the year progressed the thought of a holiday for this occasion was eclipsed by many other major U.S events. Just to name a few:
- The War of 1812
- The Mexican-American War
- The American Civil War
- The Industrial Revolution
As the nation was in the midst of new eras of warfare, fantastic technological advancements, and domestic political turmoil; the idea of a holiday was the last thing on many people's minds of the relatively young aged country. Then in 1911, educational centers in Iowa recognized Constitution Day as a holiday which in turn began spreading awareness. Despite the name we know it as today (Constitution Day & Citizenship Day), the origins of the holiday were a bit more complex as the name and date were changed over time.
The Federal Government didn’t take action until 1940 in which Congress made the third Sunday in May a holiday by the name of “I am an American Day”. By 1949 every state (forty-eight at the time) had enacted such measures making a proclamation on Constitution Day. In 1952 the holiday took another change of name and date as Congress moved the “I am an American Day” to September 17th and thus changed its name to “Citizenship Day”. As with many great Americans that bring about change, one particular one that was elected in 2016 brought about the final change for this holiday making September 17 of each year Constitution Day and Citizenship Day. This great American was none other than Donald J. Trump (Trump – Patriot's Cave (patriotscave.com). This day is about the recognition and appreciation of the Founding Fathers and their mission to adopt a solid piece of framework for the nation as well as those who have sought out and became U.S citizens through legal methods. Like the old saying goes, “And the rest is history…”
