Know Your Rights

With current events around the world, it's very important that we know our rights as outlined in the Constitution. Today, on Constitution Day, is a great time to study this important document!

America’s first attempt at a national governing document was the Articles of Confederation which went into effect in 1781. Its deficiencies were quickly apparent and in just a few years, the 1786 Annapolis Convention called for an assembly to consider reforms of that document.

The Constitutional Convention, consisting of 55 delegates from every state except Rhode Island, gathered at Philadelphia in May, 1787. They scrapped the plan to reform the Articles of Confederation and began creating a new governing document.

Debates on what would eventually become the Constitution did not initially go smoothly. (Benjamin Franklin even recommended daily prayers to help the process along.) After a brief break for Independence Day, which included a local minister's prayer for the convention, things changed and the Convention made great progress. The Constitution was finalized and signed by 39 individuals on September 17, 1787, the day we now celebrate as “Constitution Day.”

The Constitution outlines how our national government is supposed to operate and lays out the responsibilities and restrictions of that government. It also specifies rights guaranteed to each American, rights that need to be understood by all. Take time today to: read the Constitution, study it with your family, and take our Constitution quizzes (including this brand new one) to test your knowledge.

Happy Constitution Day!

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