“Constitution Day” celebrates the ratification of the U.S. Constitution on September 17, 1787. On this day, 233 years ago, the delegates to the Constitutional Convention gathered in Philadelphia, PA to sign this landmark document. The Constitution established our national government and fundamental laws, and continues to guarantee basic rights for U.S. citizens. The Bill of Rights became part of the U.S. Constitution in 1791.
Know Your Voting Rights!
This year we celebrate our constitutional right to vote. The original Constitution denied many groups the right to vote, including landless white men, slaves, free blacks, and women. Since then, amendments to the Constitution have expanded voting rights:
- The Fifteenth Amendment granted the right to vote to former slaves and people of color.
- The Nineteenth Amendment granted the right to vote to women.
- The Twenty-third Amendment gave representation to the District of Columbia.
- Twenty-fourth Amendment forbid poll taxes.
- Twenty-sixth Amendment lowered the voting age to 18.
Learn more about your right to vote in our online guide.
To learn more about the United States Constitution check out Gleeson Library’s Constitution Day Guide.