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Edmon Low Library

Constitution Day

2023 Activities

"Contemplating the Constitution" invites the community to share their thoughts and reflections on an aspect of the US Constitution. This year, we invite you to consider one component of the preamble. The Constitution begins with the familiar phrase "We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union..." What does "a more perfect Union" mean to you? Distill your thoughts and observations into six words.

SUBMIT YOUR SIX WORDS

OSU students who participate will have the opportunity to enter for a chance to win one of five $200 scholarships.

To help you reflect and generate ideas, check out this interactive constitution or learn more about how we change the Constitution

Annual Activities

Each year, the OSU Library distributes pocket Constitutions and presents a digital exhibit about the Constitution. 

Rebroadcasts

We invite you to watch the rebroadcasts of some of our past events:

Previous Celebrations

About Constitution Day

Constitution Day (or Citizenship Day) is an American federal observance that recognizes the ratification of the United States Constitution and those who have become U.S. citizens. It is observed on September 17, the day the U.S. Constitutional Convention signed the Constitution in 1787

The law establishing the holiday was created in 2004 with the passage of an amendment by Senator Robert Byrd to the Omnibus spending bill of 2004. Before this law was enacted, the holiday was known as "Citizenship Day". In addition to renaming the holiday "Constitution Day and Citizenship Day," the act mandates that all publicly funded educational institutions provide educational programming on the history of the American Constitution on that day. In May 2005, the United States Department of Education announced the enactment of this law and that it would apply to any school receiving federal funds of any kind.

Declaration of Independence
Bill of Rights
Constitution