234 years ago, on September 17th, 1787, the delegates to the Constitutional Convention gathered in Philadelphia, PA to sign the Constitution of the United States. Constitution Day celebrates both the ratification of the U.S. Constitution and all who have become citizens of the United States.
President Biden’s official proclamation to mark the occasion highlights the urgent need to preserve the constitutionally protected right to vote:
Today, we are in the midst of grave attempts to suppress and subvert the right to vote in free and fair elections — the most sacred right in our democracy and the very heart of our Constitution. We must continue to rebuff these threats to ensure that American democracy remains healthy and strong. My Administration is pursuing an all-of-government effort to protect and expand the fundamental right to vote and make our democracy more equitable and accessible for all Americans.
President Biden, A Proclamation on Constitution Day and Citizenship Day, and Constitution Week, 2021, September 16, 2021.
The original Constitution denied many groups the right to vote, including slaves, free African Americans, women, and landless white men. 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.