Constitution & Citizenship Day

Wednesday September 17, 2025

Library Staff Read the Constitution 
(originally shared via Instagram)

In 1952 Congress passed a joint resolution declaring Sept. 17 as a day of commemoration for the signing of the U.S. Constitution and "National Citizenship Day" to  recognize all those who had attained American citizenship. In 2005 it was formally named "Constitution Day and Citizenship Day" in Public Law 108-447, the Consolidated Appropriations Act. 

For more about the creation of this commemorative day see the Constitution Day website, and also the Law Library of Congress' page, Constitution Day and Citizenship Day. 

Constitution of the United States    Analysis and interpretation, Supreme Court cases, Bill of Rights, updated editions and supplements.

Constitucion de los Estados Unidos (National Archives)

Charters of Freedom: Constitution of the United States  (National Archives)     View images of the original document and read about the times in which the Constitution was signed.

Image:  United States Constitution. National Archives.

Interactive Constitution
The National Constitution Center, a non-profit organization based in Philadelphia, provides this website that allows keyword searching of the Constitution with discussion of the text, exploration by topic with as "checks and balances," and "due process," and Supreme Court cases that have interpreted the Constitution.

The Constitution of the United States Explained - provides a variety of resources including the Constitution Annotated (more formally titled, The Constitution of the United States: Analysis and Interpretation), produced by the non-partisan Congressional Research Service, which is a comprehensive overview of how the Constitution has been interpreted over time. It includes discussions of the Supreme Court's latest opinions. See also Updates to the Constitution Annotated.

Documents Illustrative of the Formation of the Union of the American States. Edited by Charles C. Tansill. 69th Cong., 1st sess. House Doc. No. 398. Washington, D.C.: Government Printing Office, 1927. 
HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION NO. 23 [Submitted by Mr. Bacon] Resolved by the Senate (the House of Representatives concurring), 
That there shall be compiled, printed with illustrations and bound as may be directed by the Joint Committee on Printing, ten thousand copies of the Madison Debates of the Federal Convention, together with the Declaration of Independence, the Articles of Confederation, the Constitution, the instructions to the Delegates to the Federal Convention, the instruments of ratification of the States, and the texts of the amendments to the Constitution, and other relevant and pertinent historical documents for distribution in the year 1926 in commemoration of the one hundred and fiftieth anniversary of the Declaration of Independence of the United States of America, to the end "that government of the people, by the people, for the people shall not perish from the earth," of which three thousand copies shall be for the use of the Senate and seven thousand copies for the use of the House of Representatives. Adopted, May 10, 1926.

Constitution and Citizenship Day (Library of Congress, 9/17/2024) - A blogpost providing resources for adult citizenship education

DocsTeach page devoted to the U.S. Constitution.  DocsTeach is is a product of the National Archives Education Division and provides curriculum ideas that can bring the Constitution to life.

Constitution Day Activities and Resources (U.S. Courts)

Constitution Day Teacher Resources (Library of Congress)

iCivics: Constitution Day Activities (K-12) - Games, videos, lesson plans, and curriculum units at primary and secondary educational levels.  iCivics is a nonpartisan 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to advancing civic learning so young people have the confidence to shape the world around them and believe in our country’s future.

Books, videos, and other resources about the U.S. Constitution, Amendments, Bill of Rights, constitutional law, and related topics can be checked out from the Northwestern University Libraries. Explore the Books and Videos tab of this guide to  get some ideas, or search NUSearch. 

Primary Documents in American History: the Constitution  (Library of Congress)    The American Memory History Collection includes the full-text of documents providing background on the framing and writing of the Constitution such as Elliot's Debates, Farrand's Records, and Documents from the Continental Congress and the Constitutional Convention, 1774-1789.

The Founder's Constitution    (University of Chicago Press)    An anthology of writings  "of a wide array of people engaged in the problem of making popular government safe, steady, and accountable." This site makes accessible the 5-vol. work by broad themes, by article, section, and clause of the Constitution, and by keyword.

"Creating the United States Constitution"  An online exhibit by the Library of Congress

Framing of the United States Constitution: A Beginner’s Guide - compiled by the Law Library of Congress, this guide presents many of the sources that you can turn to for more information about the framing of the United States Constitution.

In 2026 the Northwestern University Libraries will celebrate 150 years as a Federal Depository Library.  How that came about, and what it means, are addressed in the Book Nook display held in conjunction with Constitution & Citizenship Day in September 2025.

A Note:

The Constitution and its amendments is in no way a finished product. It is a product of its times, and its  limitations and failures – towards women, African Americans, Native Americans, the accused, and others - have resulted in division, discrimination, inequality, and death. Over more than 230 years it has been analyzed, interpreted, reinterpreted and amended over and over. Progress has been made, however, and will continue as the amended Constitution marches into the middle of its third century. We can celebrate the Constitution while acknowledging its limitations as we work to improve it.

This guide was originally built/maintained by Marilyn Von Seggern and Lorena O'English at Washington State University Libraries.  My sincere thanks to Lorena who graciously granted permission to adapt their work.