Dear John,

Constitution Day is rarely celebrated with the same pomp and circumstance of Independence Day. Most of us don’t set off fireworks or host barbecues to remember the framing of a new form of government in Philadelphia in 1787.
 
But that doesn’t make Constitution Day any less important. The precious document it honors is our instrument for realizing the philosophy of the Revolution in the shape and ongoing life of our political institutions.
 
The great abolitionist Frederick Douglass famously called the Constitution a “glorious liberty document.” To his mind, it held out the promise of human dignity and universal freedom to all the world. By limiting the ends of government, balancing its branches, and decentralizing power, it provided protections to citizens rarely afforded by any other frame of government in human history. By strengthening the Union, placing real responsibilities in the hands of office-holders, and defining our rights, it also provided for the flourishing of a new kind of free society.
 
The constitutional legacy of freedom is something worth celebrating, tomorrow and every day. That’s why the Jack Miller Center partners with universities across the country to host Constitution Day events that will engage a rising generation of students and teach them the value of America’s enduring civic tradition. We hope that you can join us for one in your area, or read more about our upcoming events below.
 
Happy Constitution Day!