| Constitution Week | |
|---|---|
| Official name | Constitution Week |
| Observed by | United States |
| Celebrations | Constitution Week commemorates the formation and signing on September 17, 1787, of the United States Constitution and recognize all who, by coming of age or by naturalization, have become citizens. [1] |
| Begins | September 17 |
| Ends | September 23 |
| Frequency | Annual |
| Related to |
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Constitution Week is an American observance to commemorate the 1787 adoption of the United States Constitution.
The observance runs annually from September 17 to September 23. It was officially enacted on August 2, 1956, by President Dwight D. Eisenhower from a congressional resolution petitioned by the Daughters of the American Revolution.The tradition of issuing a Presidential Proclamation designating Constitution Week continues to this day.
The purpose of the observance week is to promote study and education about the United States Constitution which was originally adopted by the American Congress of the Confederation on September 17, 1787. Specifically, the Daughter's of the American Revolution state the purpose as:
Many naturalization ceremonies are held during Constitution Week. In 2019, the USCIS held over 300 ceremonies in which over 30,000 people became U.S. citizens, during Constitution Week, extended by starting on September 13. [3]
Members of the Daughters of the American Revolution [4] observe Constitution Week by ringing bells at 4pm EST on Constitution Day (Sep 17th), [5] obtaining proclamations from public officials, [6] creating displays in schools, libraries, courthouses, and other public areas, [7] distributing copies of the Constitution, Preamble to the Constitution, and other patriotic literature, and other efforts to educate their community about the Constitution. [8] [9] Georgia College & State University, a public liberal arts university in Milledgeville, Georgia, celebrates Constitution Week every year with multiple on-campus events, including a student debate, a concert featuring music from Presidential campaigns, a keynote, a panel discussing recent Supreme Court cases, and discussions.
Arbor Day is a secular day of observance in which individuals and groups are encouraged to plant trees. Today, many countries observe such a holiday. Though usually observed in the spring, the date varies, depending on climate and suitable planting season.
The Alien and Sedition Acts were a set of four laws enacted in 1798 that applied restrictions to immigration and speech in the United States. The Naturalization Act increased the requirements to seek citizenship, the Alien Friends Act allowed the president to imprison and deport non-citizens, the Alien Enemies Act gave the president additional powers to detain non-citizens during times of war, and the Sedition Act criminalized false and malicious statements about the federal government. The Alien Friends Act and the Sedition Act expired after a set number of years, and the Naturalization Act was repealed in 1802. The Alien Enemies Act is still in effect.
May is the fifth month of the year in the Julian and Gregorian calendars. Its length is 31 days.
The National Society Daughters of the American Revolution is a lineage-based membership service organization for women who are directly descended from a person involved in the United States' struggle for independence. A non-profit group, they promote education and patriotism. The organization's membership is limited to direct lineal descendants of soldiers or others of the Revolutionary period who aided the cause of independence; applicants must have reached 18 years of age and have a birth certificate indicating gender as female. The DAR has over 190,000 current members in the United States and other countries. Its motto is "God, Home, and Country".
A person of exceptional merit, a non-United States citizen, may be declared an honorary citizen of the United States by an Act of Congress or by a proclamation issued by the president of the United States, pursuant to authorization granted by Congress.
In the United States, Flag Day is a holiday celebrated on June 14. It commemorates the adoption of the flag of the United States on June 14, 1777, by resolution of the Second Continental Congress. The Flag Resolution, passed on June 14, 1777, stated: "Resolved, That the flag of the thirteen United States be thirteen stripes, alternate red and white; that the union be thirteen stars, white in a blue field, representing a new constellation."
The United States Bicentennial was a series of celebrations and observances during the mid-1970s that paid tribute to historical events leading up to the creation of the United States of America as an independent republic. It was a central event in the memory of the American Revolution. The Bicentennial culminated on Sunday, July 4, 1976, with the 200th anniversary of the adoption of the Declaration of Independence by the Founding Fathers in the Second Continental Congress.
Philippine Republic Day, also known as Philippine–American Friendship Day, is a commemoration in the Philippines held annually on July 4. It was formerly an official holiday designated as Independence Day, celebrating the signing of the Treaty of Manila, which granted Philippine independence from the United States of America in 1946.
The United States has many observances.
Constitution Day is an American federal observance that recognizes the adoption of the United States Constitution and those who have become U.S. citizens. It is normally observed on September 17, the day in 1787 that delegates to the Constitutional Convention signed the document in Philadelphia.
National Hispanic Heritage Month is annually celebrated from September 15 to October 15 in the United States for recognizing the contributions and influence of Hispanic Americans to the history, culture, and achievements of the United States.
William Tyler Page was an American public servant. He worked on the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C., for 61 years, first as a page boy and later as a clerk of the United States House of Representatives. He was the author of American Creed and Story of Nation’s Capital.
General Pulaski Memorial Day is a United States public holiday in honor of General Kazimierz Pułaski, a Polish hero of the American Revolution. This holiday is held every year on October 11 by Presidential Proclamation, to commemorate his death from wounds suffered at the siege of Savannah on October 9, 1779, and to honor the heritage of Polish Americans. The observance was established in 1929 when Congress passed a resolution designating October 11 as General Pulaski Memorial Day. Every President has issued a proclamation for the observance annually since.
Peace Officers Memorial Day and Police Week is an observance in the United States that pays tribute to the local, state, and federal peace officers who have died, or who have been disabled, in the line of duty. It is celebrated May 15th of each year. The event is sponsored by the National Fraternal Order of Police (FOP) and is implemented by the FOP Memorial Committee.
Status as a natural-born citizen of the United States is one of the eligibility requirements established in the United States Constitution for holding the office of president or vice president. This requirement was intended to protect the nation from foreign influence.
Thanksgiving is a national holiday celebrated on various dates in October and November in the United States, Canada, Saint Lucia, Liberia, and unofficially in countries like Brazil, Germany and the Philippines. It is also observed in the Dutch town of Leiden and the Australian territory of Norfolk Island. It began as a day of giving thanks for the blessings of the harvest and of the preceding year. Various similarly named harvest festival holidays occur throughout the world during autumn. Although Thanksgiving has historical roots in religious and cultural traditions, it has long been celebrated as a secular holiday as well.
Citizenship of the United States is a legal status that entails Americans with specific rights, duties, protections, and benefits in the United States. It serves as a foundation of fundamental rights derived from and protected by the Constitution and laws of the United States, such as freedom of expression, due process, the rights to vote, live and work in the United States, and to receive federal assistance.
Lynn Forney Young is an American civil leader and clubwoman. She was the 43rd President General of the Daughters of the American Revolution, serving from 2013 to 2016. As the organization's president general, she oversaw a $4 million restoration of DAR Constitution Hall, led the organization in setting a Guinness World Record for "most letters to military personnel collected in one month" with 100,904 letters to members of the United States Armed Forces, and met with Elizabeth II during an event to launch a project to digitilize the Royal Archives of George III.
Gertrude Sprague Carraway was an American educator, journalist who wrote for the New York Times and Associated Press, served as the 22nd President General of the Daughters of the American Revolution, and preservationist who led restoration efforts of Tryon Palace.
