Constitution & Citizenship Day: @ UHMC

Learn about the text, history, and meaning of the U.S. Constitution from leading scholars of diverse legal and philosophical perspectives.

In 2021, UHMC celebrated Constitution & Citizenship Day by producing a podcast from UHMC faculty members Michael Ryan and Liana Horovitz. The theme of the podcast was the "History of Womenʻs Suffrage in the United States," in commemoration of the 100 year anniversary of the 19th Amendment. 

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• Transcript

In 1952 Congress passed a joint resolution declaring Sept. 17 as a day of commemoration for the signing of the U.S. Constitution and "National Citizenship Day" to recognize all those who had attained American citizenship. In 2005 it was formally named "Constitution Day and Citizenship Day" in Public Law 108-447, the Consolidated Appropriations Act. 

For more about the creation of this commemorative day see the Constitution Day website. 

The Legacy of America's Founding Fathers 

Friday, September 17, 2021 • 6:30 - 7:45 p.m. ET

check back here for recording, after the event

On the evening of Constitution Day, the National Constitution Center will present a special Constitution Day America’s Town Hall program exploring how to understand the legacy of the American Revolution and the founders in the 21st century. Best-selling historian Gordon Wood will be joined at the National Constitution Center in person by fellow historian Edward Larson and virtually by author Emily Pears and scholar Lucas Morel to discuss Wood’s newest book Power and Liberty: Constitutionalism in the American Revolution. Jeffrey Rosen, president and CEO of the National Constitution Center, moderates. Register to attend live or check back here for the recording after the event. 

Memorable Events from Past Constitution Days

Liberty Medal of Honor (2020)

The National Constitution Center awarded its 32nd annual Liberty Medal to the Honorable Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States, for her efforts to advance liberty and equality for all. 

VoteAmerica is a non-partisan voter turnout organization dedicated to making it easier for Americans to cast ballots in 2020. This site provides frequently updated information on voting instructions and deadlines. Additional resources include tool kits for voter drives and other forms of voter rights advocacy.   

"This August marked the 100th anniversary of the ratification of the 19th Amendment, granting women the right to vote. It’s a powerful and important centenary, though ratification was an incomplete victory. Black women were still largely disenfranchised until the passage of the Voting Rights Act nearly 45 years later on August 6, 1965. "