Celebrate the Bill of Rights

15 Days of the Bill of Rights

In December 1791, the states ratified the first 10 amendments to the Constitution—the Bill of Rights. Every year, the National Constitution Center hosts a celebration to honor the liberties enshrined in these amendments.

This month, we count down to Bill of Rights Day on December 15 with a series of programs, resources, and events highlighting the history and meaning of the Bill of Rights with a special focus on the First Amendment. 

Five Ways to Celebrate

Civic Stories: Pride and Protest

Tuesday, December 12 | Noon ET

Learn how members of the LGBTQIA+ community in the United States fought for their inclusion by exercising their First Amendment rights to assembly and speech. As activist Harvey Milk once said, “rights are won only by those who make their voices heard.”

Live from the Museum: Parades, Prisons, and Protests

Friday, December 15 | 10 a.m. ET

Join us live from our exhibit, The 19th Amendment: How Women Won the Vote, as we explore how suffragists used the First Amendment to secure voting rights. March in a suffrage parade, picket outside the White House gate, and hear the stories of women who were imprisoned for fighting for the right of the franchise.

Civic Stories: Bill of Rights Trivia

Friday, December 15 | 11 a.m. ET

Celebrate the ratification of the Bill of Rights during our live trivia game! Do you know your rights? Which founder declared he would sooner chop off his right hand than sign the Constitution without a bill of rights? Not all of James Madison’s original proposals were accepted by the states! Find out which proposals didn’t make the cut. 

Civic Stories: First Amendment and Historic Figures

Friday, December 15 | Noon ET

The Constitution may have been written in 1787 by the delegates to the Constitutional Convention, but it has also been impacted by many people and events over the last 236 years. One of our best tools to facilitate change is through the First Amendment. During this special program, students will have the opportunity to meet Sojourner Truth, Benjamin Franklin, Dora Lewis, and William Penn and discover how they sought to expanded the vision of “We, the People.”

Constitution Class: First Amendment in the Founders' Library with Tom Donnelly

Friday, December 15 | 1 p.m. ET

Join National Constitution Center Chief Content Officer Tom Donnelly for a look at the First Amendment through history. Using selected documents from the Founders’ Library, he will share how these primary sources shaped the First Amendment. He will also discuss his career as a historian and law professor, as well as answer questions from participants.

Professional Learning for Educators

First Amendment: Speech and Press Featuring Burt Neuborne

Wednesday, December 20 | 6:30–8 p.m. ET

Participants will examine the historical context and the drafting of the First Amendment—focusing especially on the factors motivating America’s Founding generation. We will also examine various types of speech, including symbolic speech, hate speech, and political speech, and look at how those definitions have been applied throughout history. Burt Neuborne, Norman Dorsen Professor of Civil Liberties and founding legal director of the Brennan Center for Justice at NYU School of Law, joins us. 

Thank you for being part of our community of educators. If you have any questions we’d love to hear from you. Please email the education team at [email protected].

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