The National Constitution Center will award its 34th annual Liberty Medal to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy for his heroic defense of liberty in the face of Russian tyranny. The ceremony will take place at the Center in Philadelphia on November 7, 2022. You can learn more about sponsorships and tickets here, and the event will be streamed live on our website. Learn more | |
Constitution Day Celebration
Friday, September 16 - Saturday, September 17
10 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Free admission
In September of 1787, the Founding Fathers signed the most influential document in American history, the U.S. Constitution. Every year, the National Constitution Center hosts the best Constitution Day celebration in the country. We are the place to turn to help you commemorate this historic day, at the Center and online! This year we will be hosting a two-day celebration on Friday, September 16 and Saturday, September 17, with FREE museum admission on both days!
Free museum admission on September 16 and 17 courtesy of PECO.
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Debate at America's Town Hall
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Originalism: A Matter of Interpretation
Friday, September 16, 2 p.m. ET
Should the U.S. Constitution be interpreted according to its original meaning? Is the Supreme Court consistent in its application of constitutional originalism? In celebration of Constitution Day 2022, join us for a keynote conversation at the National Constitution Center with Emily Bazelon, staff writer at the New York Times Magazine; Rich Lowry, editor-in-chief of National Review; Steven Mazie of The Economist; and Ilan Wurman of Arizona State University, exploring one of the most important constitutional topics of our time. Jeffrey Rosen, president and CEO of the National Constitution, moderates.
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This program is presented in partnership with National Review Institute. | |
The NCC’s Constitutional Convention Reports: The Proposed Amendments
Monday, September 19, 12 p.m. ET
Join the National Constitution Center as our Constitution Drafting Project teams propose amendments to the U.S. Constitution. This summer, our conservative, progressive, and libertarian teams of America’s leading legal scholars convened for a virtual constitutional convention to draft and propose a series of amendments to the Constitution. Join team leaders Caroline Fredrickson of team progressive, Ilya Shapiro of team libertarian, and Ilan Wurman of team conservative as they present and discuss the amendments that all three teams adopted. Jeffrey Rosen, president and CEO of the National Constitution Center, moderates.
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Election 2022: Are We Ready?
Wednesday, September 28, 12 p.m. ET
With U.S. midterm elections approaching, experts and contributors to the National Constitution Center’s Restoring the Guardrails of Democracy initiative—Edward Foley of The Ohio State University, David French of The Dispatch, and Ilya Somin of the George Mason University Antonin Scalia Law School and the Cato Institute—join for a conversation exploring election integrity, voting rights, and proposed election reforms to help bolster democratic guardrails in the United States.
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This program is presented in partnership with the George Mason University Antonin Scalia Law School in conjunction with the National Constitution Center's initiative on Restoring the Guardrails of Democracy. | |
Learn About the Constitution | |
Introducing Constitution 101 and Founders' Library!
Constitution 101 course provides learners of all ages with a basic understanding of the Constitution’s text, history, structure, and case law. Drawing on primary source documents, learners will study the historical and philosophical foundations of America’s founding principles from a range of diverse voices. Each unit includes a video with President and CEO Jeffrey Rosen, primary source readings, landmark Supreme Court cases, and Interactive Constitution essays. This course is entirely self-paced, so you can complete it on your own schedule!
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Celebrate Constitution Day Online
Register now to join us and learners from around the country on September 16 and 17 for free, live programs.
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Judges on Judging
Friday, September 16 at 11 a.m.
The Honorable Marjorie Rendell, Cheryl Ann Krause, and Stephanos Bibas, judges on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit, join us to discuss how judges approach cases, reviewing the seven different methodologies of constitutional interpretation. The judges will also explain how the federal courts of appeal work and their role in the federal court system.
Scholar Exchange: The Constitutional Convention
Friday, September 16 at 1 p.m.
Professors Hasan Kwame Jeffries, associate professor of history at The Ohio State University, Akhil Reed Amar, Sterling Professor of Law and Political Science at Yale University, and Colleen Sheehan, professor of politics at Arizona State University, join National Constitution Center President and CEO Jeffrey Rosen for a discussion on the issues and events in early America that led to the Constitutional Convention. We will also explore the major debates at the Convention, and how those discussions shaped the future of the United States.
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Common Ground and Compromise: A Congressional Conversation
Friday, September 16 at 3:30 p.m.
Join the National Constitution Center and the Association of Former Members of Congress for an engaging and informative session with former U.S. Representatives Jim Gerlach (R-PA), Jason Altmire (D-PA), Ric Keller (R-FL), and Peter Deutsch (D-FL) to learn about what it's like to serve in the legislative branch. Our speakers will reveal what it's like to run for office and share their experiences from the campaign trail, as well as what a day in the life of a member of Congress looks like. They will also discuss the importance of bipartisanship and working across the aisle.
Student and Family Town Hall with Karen Korematsu
Saturday, September 17 at 12 p.m.
Join us for a special town hall program featuring Karen Korematsu, founder and executive director of the Fred T. Korematsu Institute and the daughter of the late civil rights icon, Fred Korematsu. Karen Korematsu will discuss the impact of her father’s landmark Supreme Court case in which he took a stand against the internment of Japanese Americans during World War II.
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Other Live Learning Opportunites
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Public Scholar Exchanges: Part lecture and part lively conversation, 30-minute long weekly classes allow students, teachers, and parents to join in a constitutional discussion with National Constitution Center scholars on core constitutional topics. There are separate sessions for entry-level and advanced-level students and a fun Friday VIP Scholar Session.
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Peer-to-peer Scholar Exchanges: Connect students with their peers and legal professionals from around the country to discuss constitutional questions and ideas.
- Virtual Tours and museum programs: Teachers can bring the museum to their students–wherever they are! Start your school year by registering your class for these exciting programs today!
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Oligarchies, Monopolies, and the Constitution
America's Town Hall | Run time: 1 hour
Is the Constitution “anti-oligarchy”? What does it say about monopolies and antitrust? Joseph Fishkin and William E. Forbath, co-authors of The Anti-Oligarchy Constitution, discuss with Katharine Jackson and Adam White. Watch now
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SCOTUS Overturns Roe v. Wade in Dobbs Abortion Case (MSNBC’s Ali Velshi and Jeffrey Rosen)
A More Perfect Union | Run time: 4 minutes
MSNBC’s Ali Velshi and President and CEO Jeffrey Rosen discuss the reasoning in the majority opinion, concurring opinions, and dissent in the Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization case. Watch now
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The Intellectual Inspirations Behind the Constitution
We the People podcast | Run time: 1 hour and 15 minutes
Explore the National Constitution Center's new Founders’ Library. Read primary texts that span American constitutional history—from the philosophical works that influenced the Founding generation, to the most important speeches, essays, books, pamphlets, petitions, letters, court cases, landmark statutes, and state constitutions that have shaped the American constitutional tradition. Two scholars who helped choose the sources in the library, Paul Rahe and Jonathan Gienapp, discuss some of the early texts. Listen now
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Constitutional Questions After the Raid on Mar-a-Lago
We the People podcast | Run time: 53 minutes
John Yoo and Steve Vladeck discuss the FBI raid of former President Donald Trump's home Mar-a-Lago, the investigation, and the constitutional questions that arise out of it. Listen now
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Thurgood Marshall’s Unique Supreme Court Legacy
Constitution Daily blog | Read time: 4 minutes
"On August 30, 1967, the Senate confirmed Thurgood Marshall as the first Black person to serve as a Supreme Court Justice. Marshall was no stranger to the Senate or the Supreme Court at the time. ..." Read more
Why is August 26 Known as Women’s Equality Day?
Constitution Daily blog | Read time: 5 minutes
"The 19th Amendment gave women the right to vote nationally on August 18, 1920, so why is Women’s Equality Day on August 26th each year? ..." Read more
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All of the latest constitutional content from the National Constitution Center is available on our newly redesigned website! America's Town Hall programs and Constitution 101 classes, as well as the videos for our new Constitution 101 course, are also available on our YouTube channel. |
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Support the Center
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