Constitution Day 2022: quotes, texts, activities and ideas
This weekend marks the annual celebration of one of the most important document in the history of the Unted States.
Since 2004, the nation has dedicated one day a year to celebrate the signing of a crucial founding document: the Constitution of the United States of America.
This document has formed the basis for American democracy and has guided the country for more than two hundred years. Each generation has attempted to enact laws and changes that move the country closer to living up to its founding aim 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.”
This year Constitution Day will take place on Saturday, 17 September, as a reminder of the historic documents that grants Americans certain unimpeachable rights.
Museums across the country will be hosting events to mark the day, but the biggest and best can be found at the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia. The two-day celebration will span Friday 16 and Saturday 17 September, offering free admission to the museum on both days.
Included in the celebrations will be a Constitution Day Naturalization Ceremony; Judges on Judging Event; Virtual Walking Tour of Historic Philadelphia; and many more events.
What does President Biden think about Constitution Day?
Last year the White House released a proclamation in which President Biden wrote that “American democracy requires our constant care, vigilance, and full participation to determine the course and conscience of our Union.”
He continued by saying that he “swore an oath to preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution, and I will continue to work tirelessly to ensure that we uphold and strengthen this remarkable system of self-government for future generations ready to put their own shoulders to the wheel.”
Interestingly, Biden also broadened the scope of the holiday to create a more far-reaching celebration of the responsibilities attached to the Constitution. His proclamation stated that 17 September 2021 was both Constitution Day and Citizenship Day, and that day would began a seven-day period known as Constitution Week.
Biden is likely to build on this theme during this year’s celebration and stress the importance of the American Constitution to the functioning of society. Earlier this month his gave an impassioned speech from Independence Hall in Philadelphia. He used the address to warn of the dangers of misinformation and called on “MAGA Republicans” to stop pushing lies about election fraud.
Famous quotes about the Constitution
There are few documents more central to the American way of life than the Constitution. And there are few people more aware of the importance and the intricacies of the Constitution than those who rise to the highest office in the land.
Here are some famous quotes from former presidents on the Constitution…
“To live under the American Constitution is the greatest political privilege that was ever accorded to the human race.” – President Calvin Coolidge
“Don’t interfere with anything in the Constitution. That must be maintained, for it is the only safeguard of our liberties.” ― President Abraham Lincoln
“Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other.” – President John Adams
“The Constitution is the guide which I never will abandon” – President George Washington