Why September 17 Matters and What All Americans Should Know about Our Constitution

Everyone knows the date that delegates of the Second Continental Congress signed their names to the Declaration of Independence. Americans commemorate its anniversary every July 4th with parades, barbeques, and fireworks. Why don’t Americans similarly celebrate the signing of the proposed document crafted at the 1787
Constitutional Convention? This talk will make the case that September 17 should be a day of celebration commensurate with, if not surpassing, July 4. The talk will review the history that led to the Constitutional Convention, the tension that animated its proceedings, the institutions that emerged from its debates, and some common misperceptions about the text that should be the focus of our civic celebrations: the U.S. Constitution.

The event is free and open to the public.