constitution

Constitution Day

September 17th is Constitution Day. This is the day we commemorate the signing of the U.S. Constitution in Philadelphia on September 17, 1787. After the 13 colonies declared independence from Great Britain in 1776, the first governing document of the United States was the Articles of Confederation. After Shays’ Rebellion in Massachusetts, the nation’s leadersContinue reading “Constitution Day”

Constitution Day

Monday September 17th was Constitution Day. On that day in 1787, the delegates to the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia signed the proposed Constitution and submitted it to the Congress for consideration. Signatures on the US Constitution, 1787.By Constitutional Convention of 1787 [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons The library has a large collection of items forContinue reading “Constitution Day”

Bill of Rights Day

December is the month we celebrate a very important holiday. You guessed it, Bill of Rights Day is on December 15th! The Bill of Rights are the first 10 amendments to the US Constitution. They were ratified on December 15th, 1791. President Franklin D. Roosevelt proclaimed the first Bill of Rights day in 1941. TheseContinue reading “Bill of Rights Day”

What is the Electoral College?

For only the fifth time in US history (1824, 1876, 1888, 2000, 2016) the candidate who received the most popular votes will notbe elected President of the United States. Why is this? Because the US doesn’t elect Presidents by popular vote, but by a process known as the Electoral College. Whichever candidate wins a majorityContinue reading “What is the Electoral College?”